Emigrate vs Immigrate: What’s the Difference?

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Emigrate vs immigrate trips up even confident writers, because the two words describe the same journey from opposite ends. They differ by only a couple of letters and share the same ending, so they are easy to swap by accident. Spell checkers will not flag the error, since both are real words. This guide explains each word, shows how to use it, and gives you quick tricks to choose correctly every time.

What does emigrate mean?

Emigrate means to leave your own country in order to live permanently in another one. The focus is on the place you are leaving behind.

It usually pairs with “from,” because you emigrate from a country. Examples: “Her family emigrated from Poland in the 1980s.” “He plans to emigrate after he finishes his degree.” The person who does this is called an emigrant.

What does immigrate mean?

Immigrate means to come into a new country in order to live there permanently. The focus is on the place you are arriving in.

It usually pairs with “to” or “into,” because you immigrate to a country. Examples: “They immigrated to Australia to be near family.” “Thousands of workers immigrate into the region every year.” The person who does this is called an immigrant.

Emigrate vs immigrate: which one should you use?

Use emigrate when you are describing the departure, and immigrate when you are describing the arrival. The easiest check is to ask where you are standing in the story.

If you are looking at the country someone is leaving, use emigrate. If you are looking at the country someone is entering, use immigrate. Clue words help: “out of” and “from” point to emigrate, while “into” and “to” point to immigrate.

Can one person emigrate and immigrate at the same time?

Yes. The same person can be an emigrant from one country and an immigrant in another, because the two words describe one move from two viewpoints.

A woman who moves from Ireland to the United States emigrates from Ireland and immigrates to the United States. Which word you choose depends on whether you are telling the story from the home country or the new country.

Why do people confuse emigrate and immigrate?

People confuse them because both words describe the same event and share the same root. Both come from a Latin verb meaning “to move,” and the same root gives us the word migrate.

The only difference is the prefix. The e- in emigrate means “out of,” and the im- in immigrate means “into.” In casual speech, the short opening vowels can sound close together, so the words blur.

How can you remember which one to use?

A quick trick for each spelling is the fastest fix. These three work well.

• E for exit. Emigrate starts with E, and you exit your home country when you emigrate.
• I for in. Immigrate starts with I, and you move in to a new country when you immigrate.
• Where are you standing? Talk about leaving, and you want emigrate. Talk about arriving, and you want immigrate.

What are the most common emigrate vs immigrate mistakes?

Most errors happen when a writer picks a word without checking whether the sentence is about leaving or arriving. Here are five you will see often.

• ✗ Thousands of people emigrate into the country each year.
  ✓ Thousands of people immigrate into the country each year.
• ✗ Many young people immigrate out of the town to find work.
  ✓ Many young people emigrate out of the town to find work.
• ✗ After she emigrated into Canada, she applied for citizenship.
  ✓ After she immigrated into Canada, she applied for citizenship.
• ✗ He plans to immigrate out of Ireland next spring.
  ✓ He plans to emigrate out of Ireland next spring.
• ✗ The city welcomed hundreds of new emigrants last year.
  ✓ The city welcomed hundreds of new immigrants last year.

Frequently asked questions

Is it emigrate from or immigrate from?

Emigrate usually goes with from, because you emigrate from the country you leave. Immigrate usually goes with to or into, because you immigrate to the country you enter.

Can the same person be an emigrant and an immigrant?

Yes. Someone who leaves one country and settles in another is an emigrant from the first country and an immigrant in the second.

What is the difference between migrate and emigrate?

Migrate means to move from one place to another, and it can describe people or animals. Emigrate is more specific: it means leaving your own country to live elsewhere.

What is the difference between an emigrant and an immigrant?

An emigrant is a person who leaves their own country to live in another. An immigrant is a person who comes into a new country to live there.

Do emigrate and immigrate sound the same?

Not exactly. Emigrate starts with a short E sound and immigrate starts with a short I sound. In fast, casual speech the openings can sound close, so only context tells them apart.

Conclusion

Emigrate vs immigrate comes down to one question: are you looking at the departure or the arrival? Use emigrate for leaving a country and immigrate for entering one. Keep the exit and in tricks handy and you will get it right every time. Share this with someone who still says people “emigrate into” a country.