Autobiographical vs memoir

Feeling confused about the difference between memoir and autobiography? You’re not the only one. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, and there is a lot of overlap between the two, so confusion is understandable.

But there are some basic differences that will help you distinguish between them and make sure you are using the most appropriate word.

Autobiographical vs memoir

Autobiographical vs memoir definition

Autobiographical vs memoir words

Difference between biography and autobiography with example

Memoir vs biography

Knowing the difference will help you choose what to read, as well: you should know what you are getting into when you pick up a book labeled memoir vs. autobiography.

First, let’s discuss similarities between the two.

Both autobiography and memoir are first-person accounts of the writer’s life. This means the writer is describing her or his life using “I” and “me” (“I did this, then this happened to me,” etc.) One exception to this is that sometimes autobiographies are written in the third person (where the author refers to him or herself as “he” or “she”