A scarf is typically a long, narrow strip of fabric wrapped around the neck, head or shoulders. A shawl is usually a larger, broader piece of fabric draped over the shoulders and upper body, and is especially associated with women's dress.
The core difference
A scarf tends to be long and narrow and wraps around the neck or head, while a shawl tends to be broader and drapes over the shoulders.
- scarf — a long piece of fabric worn around the neck, head, or shoulders for warmth or style: he wrapped a wool scarf around his neck against the cold.
- shawl — a piece of fabric worn over the shoulders, neck, or head, especially by women: she wrapped a woollen shawl around her shoulders against the cold.
How to tell them apart
Shape is the simplest test: a scarf is usually a long, narrow strip, often wound around the neck, while a shawl is a broader piece of cloth simply draped over the shoulders without wrapping.
The words overlap in everyday speech, and either can be used for warmth or style, but a shawl is the word reached for when the garment is wider and worn more like a covering than a wrap. Note also that scarf, used as a verb, has a completely unrelated informal meaning: to eat something quickly.
