Reach vs. Achieve — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Published on October 17, 2023
Reach often refers to arriving at a destination or touching something, while Achieve denotes the successful completion or attainment of a goal or objective.
Difference Between Reach and Achieve
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Reach" and "Achieve" are both verbs, but they serve different functions. While "Reach" typically signifies arriving at a particular point or coming into contact, "Achieve" emphasizes the fulfillment or accomplishment of a task or goal.
When one says they "reached" a city, they mean they've arrived at that place. Conversely, to "achieve" something suggests they've worked towards and attained a particular goal, like achieving a degree.
"Reach" can be used in the context of physical distance or intangible extents. For instance, one might "reach" for a glass on a shelf or "reach" an agreement. "Achieve," however, focuses more on accomplishments, usually after putting in effort or overcoming challenges.
It's possible to "reach" a stage in life, indicating a point in time or development. However, to "achieve" a milestone means to accomplish something noteworthy during one's journey.
If someone says they "reached" a score of 90, it means they obtained that score. On the other hand, to "achieve" a score of 90 implies that they worked hard and succeeded in obtaining that particular score.
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
Arrive at or touch
Attain through effort
Common Usage
Locations, extents
Goals, objectives
Associated Effort
May or may not involve effort
Usually involves effort or overcoming
Temporality
Can be transient
Often seen as a lasting accomplishment
Examples
Reach a city, reach a decision
Achieve a dream, achieve excellence
Compare with Definitions
Reach
Arrive at a place.
We will reach the city by noon.
Achieve
Obtain as a result of one's behavior or effort.
She achieved high marks in the exam.
Reach
Stretch out an arm to touch something.
She reached for the top shelf.
Achieve
Successfully bring about or reach a desired objective.
She achieved her goal of becoming a doctor.
Reach
Attain or achieve something.
He reached his sales target.
Achieve
Attain a specified level of knowledge or skill.
He achieved mastery in his field.
Reach
Amount to a certain number or standard.
The temperature reached 90 degrees.
Achieve
Fulfill one's potential.
He achieved beyond everyone's expectations.
Reach
Stretch out an arm in a specified direction in order to touch or grasp something
He reached over and turned off his bedside light
She reached out to squeeze Hope's hand
Achieve
Successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective or result) by effort, skill, or courage
People striving to achieve
The killings achieved nothing
He achieved his ambition to become a press photographer
Reach
Arrive at; get as far as
The show is due to reach our screens early next year
‘Goodbye,’ she said as they reached the door
Achieve
To gain with effort or despite difficulty; reach
Achieve fame as a singer.
Achieve a record speed.
Reach
Sail with the wind blowing from the side of the ship
‘Brighteyes’ was followed round the Goldstone by ‘Patriot’, while ‘Patriot’ white-sail reached
Achieve
To succeed in accomplishing; bring about
Achieve a task.
Achieve an improvement in foreign relations.
Reach
An act of reaching out with one's arm
She made a reach for him
Achieve
To accomplish something successfully; perform at a standard or above standard level
Skills needed to achieve in school.
Reach
The extent or range of something's application, effect, or influence
He told a story to illustrate the reach of his fame
Achieve
(intransitive) To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.
Reach
A continuous extent of water, especially a stretch of river between two bends, or the part of a canal between locks
The upper reaches of the Nile
Achieve
(transitive) To carry out successfully; to accomplish.
You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
Hannah achieved her lifelong dream of winning a medal at the Olympics.
Reach
A distance traversed in reaching
He could sail a clear reach for Key Canaka
Achieve
To conclude, finish, especially successfully.
Reach
To stretch out or put forth (a body part); extend
Reached out an arm.
Achieve
(transitive) To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
Reach
To touch or grasp by stretching out or extending
Can't reach the shelf.
Achieve
To conclude, to turn out.
Reach
To arrive at; attain
Reached their destination.
Reached a conclusion.
Achieve
To obtain (a material thing).
Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved.
Reach
To succeed in getting in contact with or communicating with
They reached us by phone. Our newsletter reaches a specialized readership.
Achieve
To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; - as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise.
Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it.
Reach
To succeed in having an effect on
No one seems able to reach her anymore.
Achieve
To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
Some are born great, some achieve greatness.
Thou hast achieved our liberty.
Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved.
He hath achieved a maidThat paragons description.
Reach
To extend as far as
The property reaches the shore.
Achieve
To finish; to kill.
Reach
To project as far as
A distant cry reached our ears.
Achieve
To gain with effort;
She achieved her goal despite setbacks
Reach
To travel as far as
A long fly ball that reached the stadium's wall.
Achieve
Accomplish something noteworthy.
They achieved great things together.
Reach
To aggregate or amount to
Sales reached the millions.
Reach
(Informal) To grasp and hand over to another
Reach me the sugar.
Reach
To extend or move a hand, arm, or other body part, especially when trying to touch or grasp something
Reached for a book.
Reach into a pocket.
Reach
To have extension in space or time
A coat that reaches to the knee.
A career that reached over several decades.
Reach
To have an influence or effect
A philosophy that reaches into many disciplines.
Reach
To make an effort to address the needs of a group or community. Often used with out
A program to reach out to disengaged youth.
Reach
(Nautical) To sail with the wind abeam.
Reach
The act or an instance of stretching or thrusting out
The frog caught the insect with a sudden reach of its tongue.
Reach
The extent or distance something can reach
A boxer with a long reach.
Reach
Range of understanding; comprehension
A subject beyond my reach.
Reach
Range or scope of influence or effect
The reach of the transmitter.
Reach
An expanse of land or water, such as a stretch of water visible between bends in a river or channel.
Reach
A rank or level in a social group or organization
The lower reaches of society.
Reach
A pole connecting the rear axle of a vehicle with the front.
Reach
(Nautical) The tack of a sailing vessel with the wind abeam.
Reach
(intransitive) To extend, stretch, or thrust out (for example a limb or object held in the hand).
He reached for a weapon that was on the table.
He reached for his shoe with his legs.
Reach
(transitive) To give to someone by stretching out a limb, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another person; to hand over.
To reach one a book
Reach
(intransitive) To stretch out the hand.
Reach
(transitive) To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held, so as to touch, strike, grasp, etc.
To reach an object with the hand, or with a spear
“I can't quite reach the pepper. Could you pass it to me?”
The gun was stored in a small box on a high closet shelf, but the boy managed to reach it by climbing on other boxes.
Reach
To strike or touch.
His bullet reached its intended target.
Reach
To extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut.
Reach
(transitive) To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent.
His hand reaches the river
When the forest reaches the river, you will be able to rest.
Reach
(transitive) To arrive at (a place) by effort of any kind.
After three years, he reached the position of manager.
The climbers reached the top of the mountain after a gruelling ten-day hike.
Reach
To make contact with.
I tried to reach you all day.
Reach
To connect with (someone) on an emotional level, making them receptive of (one); to get through to (someone).
What will it take for me to reach him?
Reach
To arrive at a particular destination.
Reach
(transitive) To continue living until or up to (a certain age).
You can only access the inheritance money when you reach the age of 25.
Reach
(obsolete) To understand; to comprehend.
Reach
To strain after something; to make (sometimes futile or pretentious) efforts.
Reach for your dreams.
Reach for the stars!
Reach
(intransitive) To extend in dimension, time etc.; to stretch out continuously (past, beyond, above, from etc. something).
Reach
(nautical) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
Reach
To arrive at a particular destination, especially to join someone; to meet up.
What time you reaching tomorrow?
Reach
The act of stretching or extending; extension.
Reach
The ability to reach or touch with the person, a limb, or something held or thrown.
The fruit is beyond my reach.
To be within reach of cannon shot
Reach
The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.
Reach
Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.
Reach
(informal) An exaggeration; an extension beyond evidence or normal; a stretch.
To call George eloquent is certainly a reach.
Reach
(boxing) The distance a boxer's arm can extend to land a blow.
Reach
(nautical) Any point of sail in which the wind comes from the side of a vessel, excluding close-hauled.
Reach
(nautical) The distance traversed between tacks.
Reach
(nautical) A stretch of a watercourse which can be sailed in one reach (in the previous sense). An extended portion of water; a stretch; a straightish portion of a stream, river, or arm of the sea extending up into the land, as from one turn to another. By extension, the adjacent land.
Reach
A level stretch of a watercourse, as between rapids in a river or locks in a canal. (examples?)
Reach
An extended portion or area of land or water.
Reach
(obsolete) An article to obtain an advantage.
Reach
The pole or rod connecting the rear axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.
Reach
(obsolete or dialect) retch.
Reach
To retch.
Reach
To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like.
Her tresses yellow, and long straughten,Unto her heeles down they raughten.
Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side.
Fruit trees, over woody, reached too farTheir pampered boughs.
Reach
Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book.
He reached me a full cup.
Reach
To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear.
O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford,Than I may reach the beast.
Reach
To strike, hit, or touch with a missile; as, to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell.
Reach
Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as.
If these examples of grown men reach not the case of children, let them examine.
Reach
To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent; as, his land reaches the river.
Thy desire . . . leads to no excessThat reaches blame.
Reach
To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as.
Before this letter reaches your hands.
Reach
To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain; to be advanced to.
The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach, comes short of its reality.
Reach
To understand; to comprehend.
Do what, sir? I reach you not.
Reach
To overreach; to deceive.
Reach
To stretch out the hand.
Goddess humane, reach, then, and freely taste!
Reach
To strain after something; to make efforts.
Reaching above our nature does no good.
Reach
To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence, etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to, something.
And behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.
The new world reaches quite across the torrid zone.
Reach
To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam.
He would be in the posture of the mind reaching after a positive idea of infinity.
Reach
An effort to vomit.
Reach
The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my reach; to be within reach of cannon shot.
Reach
The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity.
Drawn by others who had deeper reaches than themselves to matters which they least intended.
Be sure yourself and your own reach to know.
Reach
Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope.
And on the left hand, hell,With long reach, interposed.
I am to pray you not to strain my speechTo grosser issues, nor to larger reachThan to suspicion.
Reach
An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an arm of the sea extending up into the land.
The coast . . . is very full of creeks and reaches.
Reach
An artifice to obtain an advantage.
The Duke of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own underhand to cross the design.
Reach
The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the forward bolster of a wagon.
Reach
The limits within which something can be effective;
Range of motion
He was beyond the reach of their fire
Reach
An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control:
The range of a supersonic jet
The ambit of municipal legislation
Within the compass of this article
Within the scope of an investigation
Outside the reach of the law
In the political orbit of a world power
Reach
The act of physically reaching or thrusting out
Reach
The limit of capability;
Within the compass of education
Reach
Reach a destination, either real or abstract;
We hit Detroit by noon
The water reached the doorstep
We barely made it to the finish line
I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts
Reach
Reach a point in time, or a certain state or level;
The thermometer hit 100 degrees
This car can reach a speed of 140 miles per hour
Reach
Move forward or upward in order to touch; also in a metaphorical sense;
Government reaches out to the people
Reach
Be in or establish communication with;
Our advertisements reach millions
He never contacted his children after he emigrated to Australia
Reach
To gain with effort;
She achieved her goal despite setbacks
Reach
To extend as far as;
The sunlight reached the wall
Can he reach?
The chair must not touch the wall
Reach
Reach a goal, e.g.,
Make the first team
We made it!
She may not make the grade
Reach
Place into the hands or custody of;
Hand me the spoon, please
Turn the files over to me, please
He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers
Reach
To exert much effort or energy;
Straining our ears to hear
Reach
Exert influence or have an effect.
His reputation reaches far and wide.
Common Curiosities
Does "achieve" always indicate hard work?
Typically, yes. It implies effort leading to accomplishment.
Is "reach" always about physical arrival?
No, it can also mean arriving at a decision or understanding.
Is "reaching a conclusion" the same as "achieving a conclusion"?
Not exactly. "Reaching" suggests arriving at a decision, while "achieving" implies working towards it.
Can "reach" imply influence?
Yes, as in "His fame reaches across countries."
Can you "reach" a goal?
Yes, but it might lack the emphasis on the effort that "achieve" offers.
Is "achieve" only used for big accomplishments?
No, it can be used for any accomplishment, big or small.
Do both words have noun forms?
Yes. "Reach" becomes "reach" (as in "within reach"), and "achieve" becomes "achievement."
Can "reach" and "achieve" be used interchangeably?
Not always. "Reach" implies arriving or touching, while "achieve" denotes accomplishment.
Is "achieve" always positive?
Mostly, but context matters. One can "achieve" a negative result unintentionally.
Can "achieve" denote skill level?
Yes, as in "She achieved expertise in the subject."
Is "reaching out" about physical touch?
Not always. It can also mean making an effort to communicate.
Can "reach" indicate a number or measure?
Yes, as in "Sales reached 100 units."
Can "reach" imply a level of effort?
Sometimes, as in "He reached his personal best." But "achieve" typically conveys effort more strongly.
Can both words be used in a business context?
Yes, as in "reach a target audience" and "achieve sales goals."
Which is more passive, "reach" or "achieve"?
"Reach" can be more passive, as it can happen without effort.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
