How to Use “However:” Every Sentence Position & Meaning, Explained

If you're not sure that you're using “however” the right way, that's because there are many ways to use it correctly! In this article, we’ll explain all the rules about when and where to utilize “however” (along with all the proper punctuation you need), plus share some useful synonyms you can use to avoid repetition in your writing. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Using “However” in a Sentence: Quick Overview

Use “however” to introduce a contradicting or contrasting clause or sentence. You might say, “I like ice cream. However, I’m not hungry now” (with “however” starting a new, contradicting sentence) or “I like ice cream; however, I’m not hungry now” (with “however” joining the sentences with a semicolon and comma).

Section 1 of 7:

Using “However” to Connect Contrasting Ideas

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1
Begin a second, contrasting sentence with “however” and a comma. To introduce a sentence that contradicts or contrasts with the previous sentence, start it with “However,…” This will alert your reader that a shift is coming. Always use a comma after the “However,” and follow it with a complete sentence. ^{[1]
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- You might write, “I was very excited to be invited to lunch. However, I had already made plans.”
- Another example could be, “The pattern was certainly original. However, the new wallpaper did not match the furniture at all.”
- Can you start a sentence with “however”? Yes! It is grammatically correct to begin a sentence with “however.” Some old-school opinions suggest it’s incorrect to do so when you mean “nevertheless,” “but,” or “yet,” but these are more stylistic choices rather than hard rules. ^{[2]
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Join 2 contrasting sentences with a semicolon, “however,” and a comma. When you have two full sentences that are in opposition or contrast to one another, but are closely connected, join them with a semicolon, the word “however,” and a comma. This shows that the second sentence is in opposition in some way to the first. ^{[3]
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- Start with two sentences that contain opposition: “I would love to join you for lunch. I am too busy.”
- Join them in this way: “I would love to join you for lunch; however, I am too busy.”
- This will make the connections between the sentences obvious, and help your writing sound more cohesive.
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Tristen Bonacci
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Tristen Bonacci is an English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix.

Tristen Bonacci
English Teacher

Look for complete sentences on either side of a semicolon. If you’re going to say something like “I really love ice cream; however, I’m lactose intolerant,” we have a parallel structure of two complete sentences on either side. When “however” is at the beginning of a sentence, a semicolon doesn’t work.

Section 2 of 7:

Using “However” as an Aside

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Use a comma, “however”, and another comma as an aside. To interrupt a sentence that is already in progress, insert “however” between two commas. Like other uses of “however,” this implies a contrast to the previous content, but in a way that makes the contrast sound a little less crucial (the information is more stylistic or interesting than necessary). ^{[4]
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Research source} There are 3 places to use “however” this way in a sentence:
- After the subject of the second sentence: “I can't make it to lunch. You, however, are going to love that restaurant.”
- Dividing a two-part verb in the second sentence: “I can't make it to lunch. You will, however, love that restaurant.”
- The end of the second sentence: “I can't make it to lunch. You are going to love that restaurant, however.”

Section 3 of 7:

Using “However” as an Adverb

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Use “however” to mean “regardless of how” or “in whatever way.” When “however” is a relative adverb, it is used to express a lack of limits. It can be used to start a sentence, or inserted after a comma in a dependent clause: ^{[5]
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- You could say, “However you look at it, we owe Puerto Rico significant aid.” (Or, “We owe Puerto Rico significant aid, however you look at it.”)
- You may also write, “I’ll make it to lunch, however the day goes.” (Or, However the day goes, I’ll make it to lunch.”)
- Writing tip: Check that you are using “however” correctly by replacing it with the phrases “regardless of how” or “in whatever way” and checking if the sentence still makes sense.
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Pair it with an adjective or adverb to mean “to whatever extent.” Use “however” to begin the dependent clause of the sentence, whether it begins at the start of the sentence or in the middle: ^{[6]
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- You can write, “I'll call you from Tokyo, however much it costs.” If you flip the clauses, you’d write “However much it costs, I’ll call you from Tokyo.”
- Another example could be, “However doomed the relationship, an open heart is its own reward.” If you start with the independent clause, you get “An open heart is its own reward, however doomed the relationship.”
- Note that a comma always separates the clauses.

Section 4 of 7:

Using “How Ever” to Start a Surprising Question

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Start a question with “how ever” to express surprise. Use “how ever” to mean “in whatever way” when you wish to show surprise with the action described. The “ever” is used as an intensifier, so it should be separated from “how.” ^{[7]
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- You might write, “How ever did you find my address?” to show you’re surprised that someone was able to find it.
- Note that this usage is a bit old-fashioned, even though it’s grammatically correct.
- Fun fact: The same rule applies to expressing surprise or disbelief with “what ever” instead of “whatever” (for example, “What ever did you do that for?”).

Section 5 of 7:

Using Synonyms for “However”

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Use synonyms for “however” to avoid sounding repetitive. Use different conjunctive adverbs to lend variety and specificity to your paper. Conjunctive adverbs connect two independent clauses or sentences, and there are lots to choose from depending on the exact meaning you’re trying to convey. For example: ^{[8]
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- Rather: “She expected to ace the test; rather, she bombed it.”
- Instead: “I’d love to join you for dinner. Instead, I unfortunately have to chaperone a field trip.”
- Nevertheless: “He hated math class. Nevertheless, he studied day and night to pass the final.”
- Regardless : “I’ll give you a call, regardless of how late it is.”
- Still : “He hated the bitter cold wind; still, he kept walking.”
- Yet : “She hasn’t got many friends, yet everyone likes her.”
- Writing tip: If you are beginning a sentence with “however,” ask yourself if it would make more sense to connect it to the previous sentence using a semicolon and a colon. This helps you avoid repeating the same sentence structure.

Section 6 of 7:

Checking for Common Mistakes

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Make sure to place semicolons and commas in the right place. When you use “however” as a conjunctive adverb to join independent clauses or sentences, remember that the semicolon comes before “however,” and the comma comes after. Remember that two commas are not enough to contain a “however.” ^{[9]
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- Incorrect: “Yes, your new shoes do match your outfit, however; they aren't weather-appropriate.”
- Incorrect: “Yes, your new shoes do match your outfit, however, they aren't weather-appropriate.”
- Correct: “Yes, your new shoes do match your outfit; however, they aren't weather-appropriate.”
2
Watch out for fragments (incomplete sentences). It's easy to write fragment sentences when you start them with “However.” If a sentence begins, “However, …” it needs to be followed by an independent clause. Check all your sentences that contain it to make sure they are complete.
- Incorrect: “However, the sky in April.” (This sentence has no verb, so it's not complete.)
- Correct: “However, the sky in April was cloudy.” (This sentence has a subject and verb, so it's complete.)
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Double-check that you are saying what you mean. When using “however” as a relative adverb, a lot of the meaning will depend on the grammar. If you forget to use punctuation , or put it in the wrong place, you could say something you don't mean. Notice how the meaning changes depending on where the punctuation is placed: ^{[10]
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- “Carrots are naturally delicious, however they have been cooked.”
  - If you mean that carrots are good in every form, this option is correct.
- “Carrots are naturally delicious; however, they have been cooked.”
  - If you mean that carrots are good raw, but not when cooked, this option is correct.

Section 7 of 7:

“However” Definition

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As an adverb, “however” means “in whatever way,” “to whatever extent,” “in spite of,” or “on the other hand.” Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to give clarity and specificity to your sentence. “However” is a versatile adverb that can be used in a variety of ways. ^{[11]
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Research source} For example:
- “I will help you however I can.” (Here, “however” modifies the verb “help” to mean “help in whatever way.”)
- “You’ll do well however hard the contest is!” (Here, “however” modifies the verb and adverb pair “do well” to mean “do well in spite of.”)
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As a conjunctive adverb, “however” joins two independent clauses. Conjunctive adverbs connect two independent clauses or sentences to show the relationship between them. When “however” is used this way to show contrast or contradiction, it has a meaning very similar to “but.” ^{[12]
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- Consider this example: “I like spending time with my family. However, I need some alone time today.”
- In this case, using “but” would convey the same meaning: “I like spending time with my family, but I need some alone time.”
- Writing tip: Note that “however” requires either a semicolon or a new sentence to join two clauses or sentences, but “but” only needs a comma.

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What's the proper use of could and would?

Donagan

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The simplest answer is that "could" is the past tense of "can," and "would " is the past tense of "will" or "shall." It's more involved than that, however, and your best option is to look up those words in a dictionary.

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What is the proper use of "hence"?

Donagan

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"Hence" means "therefore": "The situation scared me; hence the weapon I carried." It also means "in the future": "It occurred three years hence" (three years from now).

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Can we use "but" and "however" interchangeably?

Donagan

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They are similar but not identical in meaning and thus are not interchangeable. One difference is that you can start a sentence with "however" but not with "but." (There are other differences, too.)

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An intensifier is an adverb that gives force or emphasis. ^{[13]
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Relative adverbs introduce a clause by modifying an previous word, phrase, or clause.

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How to Use “However:” Every Sentence Position & Meaning, Explained

Using “However” in a Sentence: Quick Overview

Steps

Using “However” to Connect Contrasting Ideas

Using “However” as an Aside

Using “However” as an Adverb

Using “How Ever” to Start a Surprising Question

Using Synonyms for “However”

Checking for Common Mistakes

“However” Definition

Community Q&A

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