Difference between MAY and MIGHT

May and Might are modal verbs that are most commonly used to talk about the possibility of a situation. But is there any difference in terms of their meanings?

In this post, we will learn the complete use of may and might, and their similarities and differences. Now, let’s study the situations where they are used.

1. Possibility of a situation

This is the common usage of both may and might in English. Here, we talk about the possibility of a situation or an event. But there the meanings these verbs render are slightly different. The modal may refers to a higer possibility, and the modal might refers to a lower possibility of a situation.

May = likely to happen (not sure though)
Might = less likely to happen (highly low possibility)

• You may get this job.
  ( I am quite positive about it. The chances of the event are real and positive)
• You might get this job.
  ( I am not positive about it )

Examples:

• I may go on a vacation this year.
• We may lose the match. 
• Ron may lose his job because of his unprofessional behavior.
• I might not come to your party tomorrow. I will probably be out of the city.
• Don’t lose hope; she might reply to your text. 
• We can’t find Max. He may be at his aunt’s.

2. Permission

Both may and might are used to take permission. May is more common and might is a little less common as it is considered highly formal.

Examples:

• May I join your class, sir?
• May I sit here?
• May I have a piece of your cake?
• Might I drink some water from your bottle?
• Might I borrow your car for a day?

Use may, not might, to give permission.

• You may go now.
• If you have finished eating, you may use your phone.
• You may not live here unless you pay the last month’s rent.
• We may perform here. I have talked to the general already.

But using may to talk about having permission for something or not can confuse your readers. Study the following example:

• We may park the car outside this building.

What do you mean here? Do you mean “We have permission to park the car outside this building” or do you mean “There is a possibility that we park the car outside this building.”?

It is not clear if you are talking about having permission for something or showing a possibility of an event. This is a problem with using may as it can refer to both possibilities and permissions.

In such cases, using might helps you give clarity about the situation.

• We might park the car outside this building.

Now, the sentence makes it clear that the speaker is referring to the possibility of the situation as we don’t use might to give permission or to show that you have permission for something. But still, there are two problems with using might:

1. It does not refer to a positive possibility.
2. We can’t use it to talk about having or not having permission.

So, what’s the solution?

Use the modal can or could if you want to talk about having or not having permission, and when you are referring to the possibility of a situation, make sure you provide enough information so that the context of the sentence makes your readers understand that you are talking about the possibility of a situation, not about having or giving permission.

• We may park the car outside this building. The place looks safe and clean. (possibility)
• We can park the car outside this building. I have talked to the owner of the building already. (permission)

3. To talk about a past possibility

We use might to talk about a past possibility: something that was possible in the past. We avoid using may to refer to a past possibility, not because it’s not grammatically possible, but because most grammarians and even people prefer using might to talk about a past possibility, but we can. Might is considered the past tense of may.

Examples:

• She might have called last night. My phone was switched off.
• He might have left earlier.
• We may have left the keys at your desk.
• I thought you might not join me.
• He said that I might be busy.

4. Direct and Indirect speech

May in the direct speech is changed to might in the indirect speech as might is considered the past tense of may, and it backshifts the tense in the indirect speech.

Examples:

• Direct: Rohan said, “She may be upset with you.”
• Indirect: Rohan said that she might be upset with me.
• Direct: He told me, “Riya may call you tonight.”
• Indirect: He told me that Riya might call me that night.

5. Conditional sentences

Both may and might are used in conditional sentences.

Examples:

• If we talk to your father, we may get entry to the auditorium.
• If you were taller, they might hire you for this job.
• He may have been saved if he had been taken to the hospital earlier.
• If I participated in the competition, I might actually win it.
• If you explain everything to your father honestly, he might forget you.
• If I had apologized to her, she might have forgotten me.

Note: The modal May is not used in type 3 conditional sentences.

Practice Exercise: May vs. Might

Fill in the blanks using “may” or “might”.

1. You ___ want to double-check the report before submitting it.
2. ___ I speak with the manager for a minute?
3. We ___ go out for dinner tonight, but we haven’t decided yet.
4. If you explain your situation, they ___ consider your request.
5. If I had left earlier, I ___ have caught the train.
6. There’s a chance the file ___ be saved in another folder.
7. He said he ___ join the team after the holidays.
8. We ___ not need the extra chairs after all.
9. She ___ have called when I was away from my desk.
10. That warning sign ___ be there for a reason.

The answers to the questions are provided at the end of the article.

Difference Between May And Might Chart

Usage Type	May	Might	Notes / Learner Tip
1. Present Possibility	It may rain today. (70% chance)	It might rain later. (40–50% chance)	May indicates a higher chance. Might shows uncertainty or lower possibility.
2. Formal Permission	May I borrow your pen?May I speak to the manager?	Might I be excused? (rare, formal, often literary or very polite)	Use may in everyday polite requests. Might is extremely formal, used in writing or posh speech.
3. Past Possibility	She may have left.(grammatically fine but less common)	She might have left.He might have forgotten the meeting.	For past possibilities, use might have + V3. Native speakers rarely use may have in this case.
4. Conditional (Type 1)	If you hurry, you may catch the train.	If you hurry, you might catch the train.	Both are correct. May feels more confident; might feels more tentative.
5. Conditional (Type 2)	If I were rich, I may travel more. (incorrect)	If I were rich, I might travel more.	Use might for unreal or imaginary situations. May does not work in Type 2 conditionals.
6. Conditional (Type 3)	If I had known, I may have helped. (incorrect)	If I had known, I might have helped.	Only might have is used for past hypothetical situations. Avoid may here.
7. Reported (Indirect) Speech	She said, “I may go.” → She said she might go.	Same as may – used after back-shifting tense in indirect speech	In reported speech, may changes to might to reflect past perspective.
8. Hypothetical / Doubtful / Speculative	I may go to the moon someday. (feels odd)	I might go to the moon someday.	Use might to express doubt, fantasy, or speculation. May sounds unnatural in such cases.
9. Expressing Concern / Softening Impact	He may be fired. (feels harsh or blunt)	He might be fired. (softer, more empathetic)	Use might to soften tone when talking about negative possibilities.
10. Suggestion / Polite Advice	You may want to check the details again.	You might want to check the details again.	Both are correct. Might often sounds less direct and more polite.

Answer Key:

1. may
2. May
3. might
4. may
5. might
6. may
7. might
8. might
9. might
10. may

May vs Might Important Tips

• If you’re guessing or speculating, use might.
• If you’re being polite or official, use may.
• If you’re reporting speech or writing fiction, both work depending on tense.
• Avoid using may when it could be confused for permission unless the context is very clear.

FAQs

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