Distinguished describes a person or thing that is notable, respected or dignified, as in a distinguished career. Distinguishable describes something that can be told apart from something else, as in the twins were barely distinguishable. If you mean impressive, use distinguished; if you mean tell one thing from another, use distinguishable.
The core difference
Distinguished means notable or dignified; distinguishable means able to be told apart from something else.
- distinguished — well-known and respected for notable achievements: a distinguished professor gave the keynote speech.
- distinguishable — able to be distinguished from something else: the two handwriting samples were barely distinguishable.
- distinguished — also describes a dignified appearance or manner: she had a distinguished air about her.
How to tell them apart
Both words trace back to the verb distinguish, but they land on different senses of it. Distinguished picks up the meaning of having been marked out for merit, so it describes people and careers that stand out in a positive way. Distinguishable instead keeps the plain meaning of the verb, to perceive a difference, so it describes anything that can be separated or recognised from something similar.
A useful check is to ask whether you are praising something or comparing it. Praise calls for distinguished; comparison calls for distinguishable.
