account and explanation share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. account means “a record or narrative description of past events”. explanation means “a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.”. account is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈkaʊnt/
1.n.a record or narrative description of past events
“a history of France”
2.n.a short account of the news
“the report of his speech”
3.n.a formal contractual relationship established to provide for regular banking or brokerage or business services
“he asked to see the executive who handled his account”
| account | explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈkaʊnt/ | /ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/ |
| Said | uh-KOWNT | ek-spluh-NAY-shuhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Letters | 7 | 11 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun |
| Senses | 14 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | history, chronicle, story | account |
Full entry for account · Full entry for explanation · More comparisons
/ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən/
1.n.a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
“the explanation was very simple”
2.n.thought that makes something comprehensible
3.n.the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible
“I heard his explanation of the accident”