Difference Between Home And House

Often people use the words home and house interchangeably assuming they mean the same thing. These are actually similar words. In fact they can mean the same entity, but in different contexts. When you point out to a building and say it is your house, you mean the physical building; whereas when you say it is your home, you mean it is the place where your family lives.

Building a house

When you create a new building for your family to occupy or rent to someone else, you will say I am building a house. In this usage, what you mean by the word ‘house’ is a physical building. A government or a private housing project is concerned with building houses. You do not call them ‘homing’ project. Similarly, the government department concerned with creating residential infrastructure is called a ‘housing board’. When you purchase a house, you will say ‘I bought a house’ but will not say ‘I bought a home’.

Living in a home

People live in homes. Home is not just a concrete building. It is a place of dwelling for the family. A home is filled with affection, bonding and love. In a home, people care for each other. A home makes up the smallest unit of a society together with all the inmates in the family. The word ‘home’ is more abstract in nature. It also means a sense of belonging.

Home refers to what and how you feel about a place

A home can be a house or apartment or tent or hut or boat. It can also be a cave or an underground tunnel. In any of these cases, if you mean it to be a place that you occupy to live in happily, you will call it a home. All homes are necessarily houses, but all houses are not necessarily homes. Only when you deem a house to be fit for living in, you will call it your home and not otherwise.

Home can be an abstract thing

A home can be an abstract thing. It can also be a place in your mind. For example, when you say “let’s go home”, you are not talking about moving to the physical building called house. Instead, you are saying you wish to go to the place where you feel comfortable to live in. There is a sense of belongingness associated with the term ‘home’. Home is a special place. It is closely bonded with your sentiments. Home is the place of dwelling that is dear to you. Your house is a ‘home’ only when you love living in it.

Using the terms home and house in sentences

Examples for the right usage of the term house (physical location)

• My house is located in the third main road.
  
• I bought a house in Delhi.
  
• He wants to purchase a house next week.
  
• His house was damaged during the earthquakes.
  

Examples for the right usage of the term home (place of dwelling)

• I welcome you to visit my home.
  
• I stay in my home with my family.
  
• I feel at home when I visit your house.
  
• He hails from a happy home.