Language:
* Larger, more formal, and standardized: Languages typically have official recognition, written forms, and institutions that regulate them.
* Mutual intelligibility is often low: Speakers of different languages generally can't understand each other without significant effort.
* Historically, languages are considered distinct because of political, social, and geographical separation: This separation led to the evolution of distinct grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Dialect:
* Smaller, more localized, and less formally defined: Dialects are variations within a language, often defined by regional or social differences.
* Mutual intelligibility is generally high: Speakers of different dialects within the same language can usually understand each other, though there might be regional variations in pronunciation, vocabulary, or grammar.
* Develops due to local factors: Factors like geographical proximity, social groups, and historical influences contribute to dialectal variations.
The problem with the distinction:
* It's a spectrum, not a clear line: The difference between language and dialect is often a matter of degree. Some dialects are quite different from the "standard" language, while others are very close.
* Mutual intelligibility isn't a perfect measure: Some closely related languages might be mutually intelligible, while some very different dialects might not be.
* Social factors play a role: Sometimes, a dialect is labeled as a language for political or social reasons, even if there is high mutual intelligibility.
Examples:
* English: The English language has many dialects, like American English, British English, Australian English, etc. These dialects are mutually intelligible, but there are differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
* Spanish: Spanish has several dialects, like Castilian, Andalusian, and Rioplatense Spanish. These dialects are generally mutually intelligible, but there are variations in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
In essence, the difference between language and dialect is a matter of degree and often influenced by social and political factors.