alternative and choice share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. alternative means “serving or used in place of another”. choice means “the person or thing chosen or selected”. choice is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ɔlˈtɝnətɪv/
1.adj.serving or used in place of another
“an alternative plan”
2.adj.necessitating a choice between mutually exclusive possibilities
“alternative possibilities were neutrality or war”
3.adj.pertaining to unconventional choices
“an alternative life style”
/ˈtʃɔɪs/
1.n.the person or thing chosen or selected
“he was my pick for mayor”
2.n.the act of choosing or selecting
“your choice of colors was unfortunate”
3.n.one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
“what option did I have?”
| alternative | choice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ɔlˈtɝnətɪv/ | /ˈtʃɔɪs/ |
| Said | awl-TUR-nuh-tiv | choys |
| Syllables | 4 | 1 |
| Letters | 11 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 4 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | alternate, substitute | pick, selection |
Full entry for alternative · Full entry for choice · More comparisons