In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the Mock Turtle sings a song called the "Lobster Quadrille," in which a whiting invites a snail to join a group of other creatures preparing to be thrown across the sea to France.

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,

"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.

See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!

They are waiting on the shingle—will you come and join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be

When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"

But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance—

Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied,

"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.

The further off from England the nearer is to France—

Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?

Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?"

Carroll, Lewis (1867). Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. London: Macmillan. pp. 151–152.

Obviously, the snail wasn’t interested in joining the dance. But let’s pretend for a moment that it considered the possibility of traveling across the sea to become escargot. He could have said one of the following:

“I may join the dance.”
“I might join the dance.”

But which makes more sense? Is there even a difference between the two statements? How do you know when to use “may” and when to use “might” to get your message across? Here’s a breakdown of the difference between these two words and when to use them in your writing.

What is the difference between “may” and “might”?

“May” and “might” are often used interchangeably, but they do have distinct meanings. Let’s turn to Merriam-Webster to establish some basic definitions.

May: Used to indicate possibility or probability, sometimes used as an alternative for “can.”
Might: Used to say that something is possible, sometimes used as an alternative for “could.”

Helpful, right? Here’s a bit more clarification:

May: Something is very likely to happen.
Might: Something could happen, but it’s less likely.

When comparing “may” and “might,” we’re talking about degrees of likelihood. It may get hot this summer, and aliens might invade during the fourth of July.

What does “may” mean?

"May" is a modal verb used to express possibility or permission. When used to express possibility, it suggests something is likely or possible but not certain. For example, "I may go to the party tonight" suggests that there is a chance that the speaker will attend the party, but it is not definite.

When used to express permission, "may" indicates that someone has been given the go-ahead to do something. For instance, "You may leave the room" means the person has been granted permission to exit the space.

What does “might” mean?

On the other hand, "might" is also a modal verb, but it is used to express a weaker possibility than "may." "Might" suggests that something is possible but less likely to happen than when "may" is used. For example, "I might go to the party tonight" implies that the speaker is considering attending the event, but it's not very likely.

Another example of "might" expressing a weaker possibility is, "If I leave early, I might catch the train." In this case, the speaker suggests that it's possible to catch the train if they leave early, but they are not certain.

Can “may” and “might” be used interchangeably?

"May" and "might" are also used to make polite requests, particularly in more formal situations.

Remember what I said about “may” as a substitute for “can” and “might” as a substitute for “could”? Let’s take a look at some examples of how to use these words when asking permission.

“May I ask a question?”
“Might I ask a question?”
“May I use the restroom?”
“Might I borrow a pen?”

In this type of construction, “may” is much more common than “might.” (Think back to elementary school when you asked to use the restroom and your teacher responded, “I don’t know, can you use the restroom?”) And if you do decide to use “may” and “might” interchangeably, you’re likely to create more ambiguity than you intended.

Be clear in your message

If you’ve ever been confused about when to use "may" and "might" (or if this is the first time you’ve learned the difference between the two), don't worry, you're not alone! Because “may” and “might” have very similar meanings, they’re often used interchangeably, although they’re each used to express a different level of possibility.

Next time you're unsure whether to use "may" or "might," remember that "may" implies a stronger possibility, while "might" suggests a weaker one. By using these words correctly, you'll be able to express your thoughts and intentions more accurately and effectively.