Fable vs. Myth — What's the Difference?

A narrative with a didactic purpose

A widely held but false belief

A story not based on fact

A tale explaining natural phenomena

A short tale conveying a moral

A traditional story of gods or heroes

Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be added explicitly as a concise maxim or saying. A fable differs from a parable in that the latter excludes animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as actors that assume speech or other powers of humankind.

A narrative with cultural significance

A usually short narrative making an edifying or cautionary point and often employing as characters animals that speak and act like humans.

Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. The main characters in myths are usually non-humans, such as gods, demigods, and other supernatural figures.

A story about legendary persons and exploits.

A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

A falsehood; a lie.

Such stories considered as a group

To recount as if true.

A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal

To compose fables.

A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.

A fictitious narrative intended to enforce some useful truth or precept, usually with animals, etc. as characters; an apologue. Prototypically, Aesop's Fables.

A fictitious story, person, or thing

Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.

A traditional story which embodies a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; a sacred narrative regarding a god, a hero, the origin of the world or of a people, etc.

Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

(uncountable) Such stories as a genre.

The plot, story, or connected series of events forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

A commonly-held but false belief, a common misconception; a fictitious or imaginary person or thing; a popular conception about a real person or event which exaggerates or idealizes reality.

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction; to write or utter what is not true.

A person or thing held in excessive or quasi-religious awe or admiration based on popular legend

To make up; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely; to recount in the form of a fable.

A person or thing existing only in imagination, or whose actual existence is not verifiable.

A Feigned story or tale, intended to instruct or amuse; a fictitious narration intended to enforce some useful truth or precept; an apologue. See the Note under Apologue.

An invented story, theory, or concept.

The plot, story, or connected series of events, forming the subject of an epic or dramatic poem.

A story of great but unknown age which originally embodied a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; an ancient legend of a god, a hero, the origin of a race, etc.; a wonder story of prehistoric origin; a popular fable which is, or has been, received as historical.

Any story told to excite wonder; common talk; the theme of talk.

A person or thing existing only in imagination, or whose actual existence is not verifiable.

Fiction; untruth; falsehood.

A traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

To compose fables; hence, to write or speak fiction ; to write or utter what is not true.

A legend forming part of a belief system

To feign; to invent; to devise, and speak of, as true or real; to tell of falsely.

A deliberately false or improbable account

A short moral story (often with animal characters)

A story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

Fiction with animals as characters

A brief story illustrating a moral truth

They are written for all ages but are often particularly accessible to children.

While not factual, myths express truths about a culture’s values and beliefs.

A myth is a traditional story often involving supernatural beings or events and is deeply rooted in a culture's beliefs.

A fable is a short story that typically features animals and imparts a moral lesson.

Through the actions and outcomes of the characters’ stories.

It wouldn’t be considered a fable if it didn’t have a moral.

Many do, but fables can also have humans or inanimate objects as characters.

No, fables are fictional and serve to teach lessons rather than recount history.

To explain the mysteries of the universe, natural phenomena, and societal traditions.

Myths can be part of a religion, but not all myths are religious.

They impart ethical guidelines in a simple, memorable way.

Yes, they can evolve with the culture and sometimes through retellings.

Typically no, as fables are moral tales and myths are foundational narratives.

They influence cultural values, traditions, and even language.

Myths often provide a shared history or explain the existence and nature of the world.