Mountain vs Hill
Due to a thin line of difference between mountain and hill the words mountain and hill cannot be used as synonyms. This should be emphasized because mountain and hill are two words in the English language that are often used as interchangeable words. They are not so. Before we pay attention to this difference, it should be mentioned that mountain and hill are both nouns. Hill is used as a verb too. Mountain has its origin in Middle English while hill has its origin in Old English. The mountainy is an adjective derivative of the word mountain. There are also phrases that use the words mountain and hill.
What does Hill mean?
A hill is a small and a natural elevation of the earth’s surface. Unlike a mountain, a hill does not attain such a high altitude. It attains a normal height, usually not more than one-fourths of the height of a mountain. This is the reason expressions such as ‘ant hill’ are used. A hill is an artificial heap or mound of some kind of substance. It is a natural heap or mound of earth raised about a cultivated plant or a group of such plants. Observe the expression ‘a hill of potatoes.’ Unlike a mountain, a hill is not characterized by the presence of a summit. Hill is also sometimes used in phrases such as over the hill and a hill of beans.
What does Mountain mean?
On the other hand, a mountain is a very large and natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising more or less abruptly to the summit. A mountain usually attains an altitude greater than that of a hill. Sometimes it attains an altitude of about 2000 feet. On the other hand, a large mass of something resembling the high and natural elevation of earth’s surface is also called a mountain. Observe the expression, ‘a mountain of accumulated mail.’ Sometimes the word mountain is used as an adjective as in the expression, ‘mountain wind’. Similarly the expression ‘mountain people’ gives the meaning of people living in mountainous regions. A mountain is usually characterized by the presence of a summit. Some of the expressions wherein the word mountain is used as an adjective include ‘mountain of files’, ‘mountaintop’ and the like.
What is the difference between Mountain and Hill?
• A hill is a small and a natural elevation of the earth’s surface. On the other hand, a mountain is a very large and natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising more or less abruptly to the summit. This is the main difference between mountain and hill.
• A mountain usually attains an altitude greater than that of a hill.
• Sometimes mountain is also used as an adjective as in mountain people.
• A mountain is usually characterized by the presence of a summit. On the other hand, a hill is not characterized by the presence of a summit. This is one of the main differences between a mountain and a hill.