A mitten groups all four fingers together in one pouch, with only the thumb separate; a glove gives every finger its own covering. Count the compartments: one big pocket means mitten, five separate ones means glove.
The core difference
A mitten encloses the four fingers together with only the thumb separated, while a glove covers each finger individually.
- mitten — a hand covering with one section for the thumb and a single pouch for the other four fingers: She knitted a pair of mittens for the baby.
- glove — a piece of clothing that covers the hand, usually with separate coverings for each finger: She pulled on a pair of woolen gloves before heading outside.
How to tell them apart
The construction is the clearest test: a mitten has just two compartments, one for the thumb and one shared pouch for the other four fingers, which keeps the fingers warmer by letting them share heat. A glove has a separate covering for every finger, giving more dexterity at the cost of some warmth.
Both words have crossed over into other uses. "Mittens" also describes the different-coloured patches of fur on a cat or dog's paws, playfully likened to tiny mittens. "Glove" extends to specialist gear such as a baseball catching glove, and can even be used as a verb, as when a surgeon "gloves up" before an operation.
