STYLE

The way in which something is spoken, written, or performed. representing a manifestation of the person speaking or writing.

REGISTER
In linguistics, one of many styles or varieties of language determined by such factors as social occasion, purpose, and audience. More generally, register is also used to indicate degrees of formality in language use.

So what is the difference?

Briefly, STYLE is to do with variations in formality but REGISTER is to do with variations in language use connected with topic matter. The two are

not, of course, unconnected.

STYLE has variously been divided into categories: CASUAL Coming down the pub?

INFORMAL
FORMAL

Would you like to go to the pub?

You are cordially invited to accompany me to the pub.

FROZEN

PLEASE ORDER PUB LUNCHES AT THE FOOD COUNTER.

 Frozen style is the name that has been given to things like public notices which (railway managers' notices aside) have a certain recognizable structure wherever they occur.
Obviously, there are degrees between each of these and where you put certain kinds of utterances is a matter of judgement. One could go on inventing categories forever.

Where, for example, would you categories "Let's go to the pub." or "I was wondering whether you might like to go down the pub."? It has been suggested that a further category would usefully be something called SEMI-FORMAL which would describe, for example, casual language used to strangers like do you mind if I open the window?".
There are a couple of related concepts which may be helpful: STYLISTIC VARIATION which describes the differences in speech and writing of a group of users of a language dependent on situation, location, topic and roles.

 STYLE SHIFT which describes what you do when you add, for example, a personal note to the end of a formal piece of language because, although there is a convention operating which makes you want to be formal, you have a closer personal relationship with one or more of the addressees. e.g., "Good morning ladies and gentlemen and thank you for coming. Oh, and Hi to you too, Sue." Style can affect three things, essentially: Choice of Vocabulary ('dismayed' vs. 'fed up'). Choice of Grammatical Structure ('John is responsible.' vs. 'The responsibility lies with John.') Pronunciation (/Uswtw/ - formal vs. /Uswtn/ - informal)

 REGISTER should refer to the differences in language use which are shown up when you analyse the speech and writing between people of the same occupation or sharing a field of interest. So we might get:

In certain registers, of course, certain levels of formality are the convention but that doesn't mean that REGISTER and STYLE are the same thing. Register affects lexis most noticeably but also influences the choice of grammatical form (imperatives in recipes and passives in technical papers). Some registers, too, such as LAW, require certain types of grammar which are almost unique to them.

L E V E L O F F O R M A L I T Y

FROZEN

QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION ENTRANCE

BLOOD BANK CLOSED ON BANK HOLIDAYS

FCE PRACTICE MATERIALS IN THIS FILE ONLY

FORMAL

I put it to you M'lud

Scalpel.

Stop writing now.

INFORMAL

Did you do it?

This won't hurt.

Say again, Helmut?

CASUAL

His brief=s a total basket case.

The bloody radiographers are useless.

Upper Intermediate? Fat chance.

LAWYERS

DOCTORS

EFL TEACHERS

TOPIC/INTEREST/OCCUPATIONAL AREAS