Comprise vs. Compose
The English language changes over time, and words that originally meant different things morph and their separate meanings are less understood over time. Comprise and compose are two such words.
Comprise functions as a verb and it has always meant to consist of or to include; contain. Notice that the whole thing is comprised of the parts.
1. America is comprised of 50 states.
2. The fruit salad comprises peaches, pears, and grapes.
3. The singer's wardrobe was comprised of many short skirts and high heels.
Compose functions as a verb and its meaning that is most similar to comprise is to make up or to constitute. Notice that the parts compose the whole thing-make up the whole thing.
1. The puzzle pieces composed a picture of a kitten with a paw in the fish bowl.
2. Eighteen boys and two girls composed the school's football team.
3. Beethoven wrote the notes that composed a symphony.
Over time, the meanings of these two words have become conflated because comprise has been increasingly used to also mean to be formed from or made up of. So, it is not considered incorrect, in everyday language, to use comprise and compose synonymously.
1. Eighteen boys and two girls comprised the school's football team.
2. America is composed of 50 states.
While most people would not fault you for using these two words synonymously, true grammarians would recognize the mistake. If your goal is to be technically correct, just remember that the whole is comprised of the parts, and the parts compose the whole.
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