What Is the Difference Between Summarizing and Paraphrasing?

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Julia holds multiple degrees in Linguistics, Language and speech pathology, and Dutch language and culture. After a few years as a researcher, teacher, and academic editor, she now helps students and professionals all around the world with articles about grammar, language, and academic writing.

Julia Merkus

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Summarizing and paraphrasing are two methods to restate information from a source, but they are used for different purposes and in different ways.

Summarizing is used to condense a larger piece of text into a shorter piece of writing to highlight the main points.

Paraphrasing is used to restate an original piece of text in your own words without altering the original meaning.

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are two techniques to restate information from a source, but there are some key differences.

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing

	Paraphrasing	Summarizing
Goal	To restate a source text into your own words	To shorten a text
Length	Around the same length as the original	Significantly shorter than the original
Usage	Clarifying the original text Integrating someone’s ideas in your own text Making a text more accessible or suitable for a different audience	Compiling a quick overview Confirming whether you’ve understood the source text (in therapy, conversations)
Example	You want to paraphrase information from a journal article about photosynthesis to ensure high school students can understand the process.	You want to summarize information from a textbook to ensure students know what key points to focus on.

What is summarizing?

Summarizing is the process of condensing a larger piece of text or information into a shorter version. You only list the main points or ideas in order to provide a concise overview of the original content without going into detailed explanations or elaborate examples.

A summary is generally significantly shorter than the original text due to the omission of detailed descriptions, examples, and contextual information. The summary should be clear and understandable, providing a coherent overview of the original text. In most cases, the summary follows the same structure (e.g., introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion) as the source.

Summarizing example

Original:

Peppers, belonging to the Capsicum genus, are a vibrant and diverse group of vegetables that come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors. They are categorized into sweet peppers, like bell peppers, and hot peppers, such as jalapeños and habaneros. Sweet peppers are mild and crunchy, perfect for salads and stir-fries, while hot peppers add spice and heat to dishes. Rich in vitamins A and C, peppers also contain antioxidants that promote health. They can be enjoyed fresh, roasted, or dried, making them a staple in cuisines worldwide. From salsas to sauces, peppers enhance both flavor and nutrition in every meal.

Summary example:

Peppers, part of the Capsicum genus, come in sweet varieties like bell peppers and hot varieties like jalapeños. Rich in vitamins A and C, they enhance dishes with flavor and nutrition. Enjoyed fresh, roasted, or dried, peppers are versatile ingredients in cuisines around the world, from salsas to sauces.

What is paraphrasing?

The definition of paraphrasing is restating text or speech using different words and phrasings while maintaining the original meaning.

The purpose of paraphrasing is to clarify the original text, make it accessible to a different audience (e.g., an audience with less knowledge about the subject), or integrate pieces of the source text into a new text.

Paraphrasing example

Original:

Swans are large, graceful waterfowl known for their long necks and stunning plumage. Typically found in lakes and rivers, they are social birds that often mate for life, making them a symbol of beauty and love in many cultures. However, swans are also known for their strong territorial behavior and sometimes violent nature when they feel threatened.

Paraphrasing example:

Swans are elegant, large waterbirds with long necks and beautiful feathers.The gracefully swimming social creatures live in rivers or lakes, and they often form lifelong pair bonds. This is why many people consider swans to be the symbol for love or beauty, despite their territorial and sometimes violent behaviors in case of a threat.

A paraphrase is generally about the same length as the original text, and it’s often more clear or understandable. It’s important to preserve the underlying meaning and context of the original text while changing the wording.

Paraphrasing isn’t plagiarism as long as you sufficiently rephrase the original text and add a correct citation. Most citation styles provide guidelines for paraphrasing. Make sure to review the guidelines provided by your instructor or citation style to ensure you’re paraphrasing and citing correctly. For example, paraphrasing in APA style can look different from paraphrasing in MLA style. Citation styles also provide best practices for citing a paraphrase.

You can use our Paraphrasing Tool to ensure proper paraphrasing of your source texts.

How are paraphrasing and summarizing similar?

Paraphrasing and summarizing both involve restating information from an original text and expressing it in a new form. With both techniques, the original meaning and context should be preserved to avoid misleading your audience.

Paraphrasing and summarizing are both used to integrate information into a new text without committing plagiarism, as long as you correctly summarize or paraphrase. You also need to add a proper citation to credit the original source.

Both methods can help simplify complex information, which might make the new text more suitable for some audiences (e.g., summarizing or paraphrasing information from a complex journal article for laypeople).

Which illegal activity do summarizing and paraphrasing help prevent?

Summarizing and paraphrasing can help you prevent plagiarism. Plagiarism is the unethical (and often illegal) use of someone else’s work or ideas due to a lack of proper attribution.

Plagiarism can also be caused by the poor use of paraphrasing or summarizing. You should significantly alter the wording from the original text. If you’re unsure how to paraphrase, you can use our Paraphrasing Tool to help you paraphrase your source texts for free.

What is the difference between quoting and paraphrasing?

Quoting and paraphrasing are two related methods of incorporating information from other sources into your writing.

When you quote, you use the exact words from the original text. You typically place quotes within quotation marks (or a block quote) to indicate these words are not your own. You can’t alter the quoted material.

When you paraphrase, you reword the original text into your own words without changing the original meaning. You don’t use quotation marks, even when you paraphrase a quote.

Quoting is used instead of paraphrasing when the original wording of the author matters or if the wording is relevant to the meaning. If the original phrasing is not relevant to the meaning, it’s better to paraphrase. Paraphrasing demonstrates a good understanding of the source material because you’re able to restate the information in your own words.

What is the difference between quoting and summarizing?

Quoting and summarizing are very distinct methods of incorporating information from original sources into your writing.

When you quote, you present the information from the source text in the exact same way as the original. Your goal is not to shorten the information or to provide a coherent overview of the source text. Instead, you want to highlight the author’s wording.

When you summarize, you provide the reader with a coherent overview of the source text with just the key points or ideas. Your goal is to shorten the text and leave out any details or irrelevant information.