despite the fact that, in spite of the fact that (although, though)

Writers often confuse the subordinating conjunctions although / even though / though with the prepositions despite / in spite of. The mix-up either creates a grammar error (a clause after a preposition) or makes sentences needlessly wordy.

Below: a clear rule, quick diagnostics, many wrong/right pairs, and ready-to-use rewrites for work, school, and casual writing.

Quick answer

Use although / even though / though to introduce a clause (subject + verb). Use despite or in spite of with a noun phrase or an -ing form. Prefer shorter alternatives to the heavy phrase "despite the fact that" unless you need formal emphasis.

"Although/Even though/Though" + clause: "Although it rained, we went out."
"Despite" / "In spite of" + noun/gerund: "Despite the rain, we went out."
If you see "despite the fact that," ask whether "although" would be clearer.

Core explanation: clause vs noun phrase

Subordinating conjunctions (although, even though, though) expect a clause with a subject and verb. Prepositions (despite, in spite of) take a noun phrase, pronoun, or -ing form. Adding "the fact that" turns a clause into a noun phrase-gramatically permitted but often wordy.

"Although she left, we stayed." - conjunction + clause (correct).
"Despite her departure, we stayed." - preposition + noun phrase (correct).
"Despite she left, we stayed." - wrong (preposition + clause).

Wrong: Despite she was late, we started without her.
Right: Although she was late, we started without her.
Right: Despite her lateness, we started without her.

Real usage and tone: which to pick

"Although" is compact and natural for most writing. "Even though" signals stronger surprise. Use "despite" or "in spite of" with a noun or -ing when you want formality or brevity. Reserve "despite the fact that" for formal emphasis or rhythm.

"Even though he apologized, she stayed upset." - stronger than "although."
"Despite the delay, the delivery arrived on time." - formal, concise.
"Despite the fact that he apologized" - legal but heavy; prefer one of the above.

Tone: "Even though it was expensive, she bought it." (surprise) vs "Despite the expense, she bought it." (formal).
Speech: "Though" often appears at the end: "I liked it, though."

Common wrong/right pairs - quick fixes

Convert clauses to an "although" construction, or convert the clause into a noun or -ing phrase after "despite."

Wrong: Despite she worked hard, she failed.
Right: Although she worked hard, she failed. / Despite working hard, she failed.
Wrong: Despite that the server went down, the site stayed up.
Right: Although the server went down, the site stayed up.
Wrong: In spite of him being the manager, he didn't decide.
Right: In spite of being the manager, he didn't decide.
Wrong: Despite the fact that taxes rose, spending increased.
Right: Although taxes rose, spending increased. / Despite higher taxes, spending increased.
Wrong: Despite of the warnings, he proceeded.
Right: Despite the warnings, he proceeded.

Work examples: emails, reports, presentations

For professional writing, favor clarity. Use "despite" + noun for concise formality, or "although" when the contrast is better expressed with a clause.

Wrong: Despite the fact that our headcount fell, productivity stayed the same.
Right: Although headcount fell, productivity stayed the same. / Despite the headcount reduction, productivity stayed the same.
Wrong: Despite the fact that the client requested changes, we delivered on schedule.
Right: Although the client requested changes, we delivered on schedule.
Wrong: Despite the deadline being tight, we accepted additional tasks.
Right: Despite the tight deadline, we accepted additional tasks.

School examples: essays, lab reports, exams

Academic writing values precision. Use "although" to introduce contrasting claims and "despite" to compress background facts.

Wrong: Despite the fact that the sample was small, the authors claimed significance.
Right: Although the sample was small, the authors claimed significance. / Despite the small sample, the authors claimed significance.
Wrong: Despite students studied, the mean score dropped.
Right: Although students studied, the mean score dropped.
Wrong: Despite that the theory predicted X, the results showed Y.
Right: Although the theory predicted X, the results showed Y.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone: if a subject + verb follows the connector, use "although." If a preposition is required, convert the clause to an -ing phrase or noun.

Casual examples: texts, posts, conversations

In conversation, keep it short. People rarely say "despite the fact that"; they prefer "though," "even though," or "despite" + noun.

Wrong: Despite the fact that I was tired, I went to the party.
Right: Even though I was tired, I went to the party.
Wrong: Despite that it was raining, we had fun.
Right: Although it was raining, we had fun.
Wrong: Despite she didn't want to, she joined us.
Right: Though she didn't want to, she joined us.

Rewrite help: diagnose and fix in three steps

Quick method: 1) Spot if a subject + verb follows the connector. 2) If yes, use "although"/"even though". 3) If you must use a preposition, turn the clause into -ing or a noun and use "despite"/"in spite of".

Test: Is there an immediate subject + verb after the connector? If yes, use a conjunction.
Convert a clause to -ing for "despite": "Despite Jane leaving early..."
Prefer "even though" for stronger contrast and "despite" for formal compression.

Rewrite: "Despite the fact that sales were down, we hit targets." → "Although sales were down, we hit targets."
Rewrite: "Despite the fact that Jane left early, the meeting finished on time." → "Despite Jane leaving early, the meeting finished on time."
Rewrite: "Despite the fact that the experiment failed, we learned useful lessons." → "Although the experiment failed, we learned useful lessons."

Memory tricks, hyphenation, spacing, and grammar notes

Keep a few quick rules handy when editing: small checks and common formatting fixes that appear with this error.

Mnemonic: A = Although = full clause (A for "a subject"). D = Despite = Drop the subject (use noun or -ing).
Hyphenation: these phrases are not hyphenated. Use hyphens only for compound modifiers (e.g., "well-known study").
Spacing: use one space after periods and commas; no extra spaces around these phrases.
Grammar: never write "despite of" - correct: "despite" or "in spite of."
Punctuation: When "although" starts a subordinate clause, a comma follows the clause when it comes first: "Although I was tired, I stayed."

Usage: Wrong: "Despite of the findings, we continued." →
Right: "Despite the findings, we continued."
Usage: Wrong: "Although, the evidence is weak, we published it." →
Right: "Although the evidence is weak, we published it."

Similar mistakes to watch for

When you fix "despite" vs "although", also check these related issues.

Confusing "although" with "however" - "however" usually needs different punctuation and often starts a new sentence.
Using "the fact that" unnecessarily - it turns clauses into nouns and adds wordiness.
Misplacing commas after "although" - don't put a comma between "although" and the clause's subject and verb.

Wrong: "However, although he tried, he failed." - awkward; pick one contrast strategy.
Right: "Although he tried, he failed." or "He tried; however, he failed."

FAQ

Can I always replace "despite the fact that" with "although"?

Often yes when the next part is a clause. If you need a prepositional object or a particular formal rhythm, use "despite" + noun or "despite" + -ing instead.

Is "despite of" correct?

No. Use "despite" (no "of") or "in spite of" (with "of").

When should I use "even though" instead of "although"?

"Even though" signals a stronger or more surprising contrast. Use it to emphasize unexpectedness.

How do I fix sentences that already use "despite the fact that"?

Decide whether what follows is a clause. If it is, try "although" or "even though." If you need a preposition, convert the clause to an -ing phrase or a noun and use "despite" + noun/-ing.

Do style guides ban "despite the fact that"?

Many guides discourage it as wordy. It's not wrong, but shorter alternatives usually improve clarity.

Soft call to action

When editing, pause at any long connector and run the quick test: subject + verb? Use "although." Otherwise convert to a noun or -ing for "despite." Practicing these swaps will make your writing cleaner and more natural.