Between or among?

We use between to refer to two things which are clearly separated. We use among to talk about things which are not clearly separated because they are part of a group or crowd or mass of objects:

Our holiday house is between the mountains and the sea. (the mountains are on one side and the sea is on the other)

The ancient fountain was hidden among the trees. (surrounded by trees)

Between is most often used to introduce a prepositional phrase which contains two singular or plural noun phrases:

There was a cyclist [prepositional phrase]between the car and the lorry.

I didn’t see any difference [prepositional phrase]between the real bags and the imitation bags.

We can also use between + pronoun when referring to two people or things:

I gave Yolanda and Lynn some money and told them to share it between them.

We can also use between, but not among, to connect times or numbers:

They lived in New York between 1998 and 2004.

Not: They lived in New York among 1998 and 2004.

What were you doing between 5.30 pm and 7.00 pm?

The most common nouns often followed by between are: connection, difference, distinction, link, relationship:

Is there a connection between his arrival and her disappearance?

There’s a strong link between clean drinking water and reduced infant mortality.

The most common verbs often followed by between are: choose, differentiate, distinguish, divide:

[talking about judging a competition]

I didn’t want to have to choose between the singers.

Her money was divided between her son and her daughter.

We use among to suggest a sense of being a part of or surrounded by or included in something else. It is typically followed by a plural noun phrase:

She wanted to be among friends.

Among his books, we found some rare first editions.

In the phrases among others and among other things, among means ‘as well as’:

Her parents, among others, were worried about her travelling alone.

Among other things, I still have to pack.