How should I use the words might and may?
May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary to fact hypothetical.
The difference in degree between ‘‘You may be right’’ and ‘‘You might be right’’ is slight, but not
insignificant: If I say you may be right about something, there is a higher degree of probability that
you are right about it than if I say you might be right about something. “You think Einstein is the
most brilliant physicist, who ever lived? ‘‘You may be right.” versus “You think it’s going to rain this
afternoon even though the sun is shining this morning? Well, you might be right.” May expresses
likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary to fact hypothetical: “We
might have been able to go if Kyle hadn’t been so slow.”
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