Pun Vs. Joke: What's the Difference?

If you're wondering what might be the difference between a joke and a pun, it's a simple one. Regular jokes usually focus more on the informative side: you have to know the context and be relatively well-informed about the topic to get the full gist of it.

Funny puns, though, are particular kinds of jokes that are based on wordplay. Of course, you still need to know the context to understand them, but the main "dish" depends on how you twist the words. You might not need that much storytelling to set up, but puns usually work best when you’re making fun of the situation in front of you.

Essentially, every pun is a joke, but not every joke is a pun. And the combination of the two brings us to today’s subject—funny pun jokes. They provide us with captivating storytelling and funny play of words under the roof of one single joke.

Where Do Punny Jokes Come From?

One can only imagine where the roots of fun puns are hidden. Was it The First Humans who mistakenly called the Saber-toothed tiger a Lightsaber-toothed tiger? Or maybe it all started in the Middle Ages when, by a long shot, the Trebuchet was the most powerful weapon? Or perhaps it was the era of the Renaissance when people just couldn't Handel the music of Handel? There are no answers as to when these amazingly funny pun jokes were born, but it has kept its popularity from the dawn of ages to this day.

What Kind of Fun Puns Could You Use to Make Someone Laugh?

You won’t find a formula that will allow you to make everyone burst into laughter. Everyone’s different; people have varying interests and hobbies and different senses of humor, so shooting your shot with an all-rounder isn’t guaranteed to work. It would help if you analyzed your audience, get to know their buttons, and gently push them. You don’t want to go overboard with naughty two-liner jokes, and you don’t want to go in too easy, either. 

Both situations can warrant weird looks and awkward chuckles. But don’t worry; put in the time needed to understand your audience and prepare the material accordingly. If everything sounds and is timed right, it doesn’t matter who you tell the joke to. Your friend, mom, or boss will all appreciate a good joke.