“Available To” or “Available For” – Difference Explained

Any difference between the phrases “available to” and “available for” is often a confusing matter for even the most advanced of readers and writers. This brief article will explore and discuss any differences relating to the phrases “available to” and “available for” using sentence examples.

What Is The Difference Between “Available To” And “Available For”?

There is a subtle difference between the phrases “available to” and “available for”. “Available to” can be integrated into a sentence when someone or something is available to carry out an action and “available for” indicates when something is available for a purpose.

“Available To” or “Available For”

Basically, the difference between “available to” and “available for” is dictated by the prepositions “to” and “for”.

The word “available” means when something is able to be used or obtained.

What Does “Available To” Mean?

 The phrase “available to” means when someone or something is available to something or someone to carry out an action.

The phrase “available to” can be used in a sentence when something can be accessed by specified people or organizations. This could be data to assist in an inquiry. The phrase “available to” can be used within a sentence to indicate that something is available for use by a noun.

Consider the following simple sentence examples to allow you to further understand just how to include the phrase “available to” in a sentence in your own writing:

  • The examination results data is now available to all students in year groups 7-12.
  • The website is now up and running and the new features are available to you to use and modify.
  • That dress you like and the matching accessories are now available to buy online, but they will soon be sold out.
  • The details about the new management team are now available to download directly from the website.
  • The GP test results are available to pick up; the surgery is open until 5 pm.

What Does “Available For” Mean?

The phrase “available for” means when someone is available for a purpose.

The phrase “available for” can be stated in a sentence when something can be accessed for a specific activity, like computer software. This activity could be during a particular time period. The phrase “available for” also refers to when something is open to a person or group, such as a building.

Look over the following sentence examples to deepen your knowledge of the phrase “available for” so that you can use this phrase in your own sentences:

  • Room 3 is available for a total of three hours for your theatre rehearsal; please do not exceed this time.
  • A hairdryer and dressing gown are available for an extra fee; just ask at the hotel reception for further information.
  • There is only one room available for a family of four tonight, so you will have to sleep there.
  • Despite logging onto the website each day, there were no new green rucksacks available for purchase online.
  • A staff vacancy at the local bank had been available for over a year, but he did not have enough confidence to have an interview.

Are “Available To” And “Available For ” Interchangeable?

Whilst the phrases “available to” and “available for” are used interchangeably in some writing and conversation, the two phrases mean different things, and the phrases should not be used interchangeably.

It is easy to include or say the phrases interchangeably because of their similarity. How often each phrase is used is even similar.

Remember that “available to” is when something or someone is available to carry out an action and “available for” is when something is available for a purpose.

Is “Available To” Or “Available For” Used The Most?

The phrase “available to” is used the most in comparison to the phrase “available for”.

This graph from Google Ngram Viewer shows how often the phrases “available to” and “available for” have been used during the time span of 1800 to 2019. The red line shows how often the words “available for” are expressed and the blue line shows how often the words “available to” are stated.

“Available To” or “Available For” english usage

As the graph shows, the phrase “available to” is evidently used more than “available for”. In general, however, phrase usage for these two phrases is quite similar in the figures. Since 1976 the usage of both phrases has been gradually declining.