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title: "DIFFERENCE (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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---
# DIFFERENCE (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

  Returns an integer value that indicates the difference between the SOUNDEX values of two character expressions.  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
DIFFERENCE ( character_expression , character_expression )  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *character_expression*  
 Is an alphanumeric [expression](../../t-sql/language-elements/expressions-transact-sql.md) of character data. *character_expression* can be a constant, variable, or column.  
  
## Return Types  
 **int**  
  
## Remarks  
 The integer returned is the number of characters in the SOUNDEX values that are the same. The return value ranges from 0 through 4: 0 indicates weak or no similarity, and 4 indicates strong similarity or the same values.  
  
 DIFFERENCE and SOUNDEX are collation sensitive.  
  
## Examples  
 In the first part of the following example, the `SOUNDEX` values of two very similar strings are compared. For a Latin1_General collation `DIFFERENCE` returns a value of `4`. In the second part of the following example, the `SOUNDEX` values for two very different strings are compared, and for a Latin1_General collation `DIFFERENCE` returns a value of `0`.  
  
```  
-- Returns a DIFFERENCE value of 4, the least possible difference.  
SELECT SOUNDEX('Green'), SOUNDEX('Greene'), DIFFERENCE('Green','Greene');  
GO  
-- Returns a DIFFERENCE value of 0, the highest possible difference.  
SELECT SOUNDEX('Blotchet-Halls'), SOUNDEX('Greene'), DIFFERENCE('Blotchet-Halls', 'Greene');  
GO  
```  
  
 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  
  
```  
----- ----- -----------   
G650  G650  4             
  
(1 row(s) affected)  
  
----- ----- -----------   
B432  G650  0             
  
(1 row(s) affected)  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [SOUNDEX (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/soundex-transact-sql.md)   
 [String Functions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/string-functions-transact-sql.md)