What is The Difference Between a Couch and a Sofa?

Is there any difference between a couch and a sofa? How can you tell which one is which? Here’s everything you should know about why couches and sofas are unique pieces of furniture.

The words couch and sofa are often used to describe the same piece of furniture, but couches and sofas actually differ slightly in construction, style, and size.

Even though most people use the terms interchangeably and won’t mind which word you use to describe your furniture, knowing the difference can be helpful when picking out a seating option for your home.

Here’s a quick explanation of the differences between a couch and a sofa.

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What is a sofa?

A sofa can be defined as an upholstered bench with cushions, two arms, and space for several people to sit. This includes a range of comfortable seating options, from sectionals to loveseats. Sofa is the commonly accepted word for the type of seating that fits this description, but sometimes sofas are casually referred to as couches depending on the size, style or setting of the sofa. The word “sofa” comes from the Arabic word “suffah,” meaning “platform used as a seat”. The earliest surviving types, dating back to the 17th century in Europe, have sides that let down for conversion into a bed. In the 17th century, it referred to a long seat with a full back and raised arm-rests on both sides.

Sofas Common Features:

Soft, padded arm
Have soft plump cushions
May come with built-in beds
Extra cushioning
Usually more seating space

What is a couch?

Although the word couch is usually used to refer to small or casual sofas, couches feature some distinct differences. The word comes from an Old French verb “couche,” which means to lie down and the design of couches reflects that meaning. They generally have one or no arms and they are smaller than sofas, like a chaise lounge. However, due to years of the terms being used interchangeably, you’re more likely to hear couch used to refer to less formal sofas.

The word couch comes from the Latin verb collocare or from Old French couche, meaning “to put into place, to lay down”. When the term sofa was used in England in the 1600’s, it referred to a part of the floor that was raised and covered in cushions for comfortable seating. Couches were very popular among the Roman culture and appeared in dining rooms rather than living rooms.

Three couches were placed around a table so men could relax on the couches as they ate and socialised. Women, on the other hand, had to sit on regular chairs.

Couches Common Features: