The Professional Writer’s List of Transition Words & Phrases

 Talking to someone who constantly jumps from one unrelated topic to the next is a strange experience. The entire conversation seems random and unfocused, which makes it hard to stay engaged, and easy to say, “I gotta go”.

Needless to say, it’s annoying to talk to people who try to engage you with choppy conversations -- and it’s just as irritating in writing. If you abruptly hop from one point to another, you’ll throw your readers off and confuse them, increasing the likelihood that they’ll abandon your piece.

To avoid losing your audience’s attention when moving from one point to another, you need to weave your ideas and thoughts together with transitions. These logical connections between different sections in your writing give your audience a train of thought to follow, boosting the odds that they’ll pay their undivided attention to your piece.

To help you thread your writing together and better engage an audience, we’ve compiled a list of the best transition words and phrases to include in your pieces. Whether you want to know the best transitions for linking separate paragraphs together or ending paragraphs with an emotional punch, we’ve listed some effective options below.

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The Professional Writer’s List of Transition Words and Phrases

Additional Evidence

To bolster your ideas with additional support or information, consider using the following transitions:

  • Also
  • Too
  • And
  • As well as
  • Another
  • In addition
  • Even more
  • Equally
  • Let alone

Here’s an example of this type of transition in use:

“Early adopters can provide a lot of helpful feedback about a product’s or technology’s pros and cons. They also inject these companies with revenue that funds the research and development needed to enhance the product or technology enough to gain widespread adoption.”

Comparison

To compare multiple thoughts or ideas, consider using the following transitions:

  • Similarly
  • Just like
  • Likewise
  • By the same token
  • In a similar fashion

Here’s an example of this type of transition in use:

“Just like Facebook Instant Articles, which lets users read articles without leaving Facebook’s mobile app, Google will host AMP pages on its own servers and serve up the content directly on its site.”

Contrast

To contrast multiple ideas or thoughts, consider using the following transitions:

  • On the other hand
  • At the same time
  • Although
  • Albeit
  • Even though
  • Even so
  • In spite of
  • Despite
  • That said
  • Granted
  • Regardless
  • Admittedly
  • Instead
  • But
  • However
  • Though
  • Still
  • Yet
  • While
  • Whereas
  • Otherwise

Here’s an example of this type of transition in use:

“As jobs become more specialized in today’s workforce, it seems logical to hone a specific skill set, especially during school. But only learning the skills that match the exact requirements of a job today might not prepare you for your job tomorrow.”

Time

To describe something that happened, happens, or will happen during a certain time frame, consider using the following transitions:

  • Previously
  • Back then
  • Nowadays
  • Today
  • Sometimes
  • Once
  • This time
  • During
  • Immediately
  • Next
  • Then
  • Following
  • Soon
  • While
  • Meanwhile
  • Simultaneously

Here’s an example of this type of transition in use:

“Nowadays, writing a letter can seem completely archaic. I mean, do people even send mail anymore? Or do they only communicate through email and messaging?”


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