Difference between May and Might | May vs Might

May and Might are modal verbs in English that indicate possibility or permission. While they share similar meanings, there are some differences in their usage. This article will discuss in detail about differences between May and Might.

Difference between May and Might

Meaning of May

May is a modal verb that indicates possibility or permission. It is also used to express a suggestion, wish, or hope. In terms of permission, may is more formal than can, but they are often interchangeable in everyday speech.

Usage of May:

• Used to ask for permission
• Used to give permission
• Used to express possibility.
• Used to express a wish or hope.
• Used to make a suggestion.
• Used to express a polite request
• Used to indicate uncertainty

Examples of May

• May I use your phone?
• He may be late.
• It may rain later
• May I have a glass of water, please?
• You may want to try this restaurant
• You may go now.
• He may need to leave early.
• The package may arrive tomorrow.

Meaning of Might

Might is also a modal verb that indicates possibility or permission, but it is used to express a lower degree of certainty than may. It can also be used to make suggestions, offer advice, or express a hypothetical situation.

Usage of Might

• Used to express possibility with a lower degree of certainty.
• Used to make suggestions or offer advice.
• Used to express a hypothetical situation.
• Used to ask for permission in a decent way
• Used to express a negative consequence.
• Used to express a conditional situation
• Used to express a polite request

Examples of Might

• It might snow tomorrow
• If I had more time, I might have gone to the party
• Might I have a moment of your time? 
• Might I borrow your pen, please?
• It might be a good idea to take a break.
• If it rains, we might need to reschedule.
• I might go to the gym later if I have time.
• If you invest wisely, you might make a profit.

Differences between May vs. Might

May	Might
Indicates a greater degree of possibility or likelihood	Indicates a smaller degree of possibility or likelihood
More commonly used to express possibility or permission	More commonly used to express a smaller possibility
More likely to be used in the present or future tense	More likely to be used in the past tense
More formal	Less formal
Used to express a wish or hope	Cannot be used to express a wish or hope
Can be used to make a request or offer	Cannot be used to make a request or offer
Can be used in the subjunctive mood	Can also be used in the subjunctive mood
Used to express a truth or habit	Cannot be used to express a truth or habit
Used to express a prediction	Used to express a hypothetical situation
Used to indicate a higher level of certainty	Used to indicate a lower level of certainty
Mostly used in formal writing	Mostly used in informal writing
Example: “May I speak to the manager?”	Example: “She might be able to come to the party.”

Conclusion

May and Might are modal verbs in English while they have similar meanings there are some differences in their in usage. Understanding the difference between this two words are important in order to know about their usage.