Key Difference: The words are often used interchangeably when referring to grouping and categorizing a person, place or thing. However, there are certain contexts where the words cannot be used in the place of the other. 关键区别:当指对人、地点或事物进行分组和分类时，这些词经常互换使用。然而，在某些情况下，这些词不能用来代替另一个词。
The terms kind, sort and type are often confusing for many people as these two words are used similarly in certain contexts and differently in other contexts. It is important to understand the contexts, where the words are interchangeably and in places where the words can change the meaning of the whole sentences.kind(种类)、sort(排序)和type(类型)这三个词经常让很多人感到困惑，因为这两个词在某些情况下使用相似，在其他情况下使用不同。理解上下文是很重要的，在哪些地方单词可以互换，在哪些地方单词可以改变整个句子的意思
The words are often used interchangeably when referring to grouping and categorizing a person, place or thing. As a noun, all of these can be used interchangeably. So, in the sentence “what kind/sort/type of person”, the words can be used in place of the other. Similarly, when referring to an object such as “what type/sort/kind of fruit” or a location such as “what type/sort/kind of place”, the words can also be used interchangeably. However, the similarity ends there.
There are certain contexts where the words cannot be used in the place of the other. If a person is talking about a specific category such as blood group, genus, species, ‘kind’ is more commonly used. In the sentence, “what is your blood type?” other words would completely change the meaning of the sentence. In the question “what kind of person is she?” sort can be used but type will change the meaning of the sentence.
Additionally, each word has a separate connotation in addition to grouping or characterizing. For example, ‘kind’ can also be used as an adjective to describe a person that is good in nature and considerate to other people and things. The person is often considered as a warm and helpful in nature. It can also be used to determine vagueness about something. For example, “She is kind of sweet.”
Sort can also be used as a verb to suggest grouping things together, such as “Sort out those papers and file them.” In this the word becomes an action, where the person is asking them to separate the papers and file them accordingly. Also, it is commonly also used as a phrase that means to put in order or wait to see how things turn on, such as “Let me just sort things out here and I’ll get back to you.” and “Let things sort out on their own”, respectively.
In addition to classifying things or people with similar characters in one group, the word type can also be used for typing or the font. Example includes “she was tying up the paper all night” or “what font type is that?”
Comparison between Kind, Sort, and Type:
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| Part of Speech | Noun, adjective | Noun, verb | Noun, verb |
| Similar connotation | order, genus, species; breed | a particular kind, species, variety, class, or group | a number of things or persons sharing a particular characteristic, or set of characteristics, that causes them to be regarded as a group, more or less precisely defined or designated |
| Other connotations |
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kind 、sort与type的区别及用法
kind作“种类、类别” 解时，是一个普通的用法。sort作“种类、类别”解，与kind没有大的区别。但应注意：①kind常用在比较正式的场合；②当对物体进行分类时，常用kind表示大类，用sort表示大类中的小类；③表示生物时常用kind，表示自然资源等常用sort。type作“型号、典型、范例”解，是一个比较正式的用词。如：Men’s blood can be divided into several types.（人的血型可分成好几种。）它们的具体用法如下：
1. 表示单数名词，用a kind/sort of …“某种、一种（不明确的东西）”；this kind/sort of …“这种”或that kind/sort of…“那种”, 这时它们之后的名词都应是单数，但名词前不加冠词。例如：
It was a kind/sort of animal with long ears and a short tail.（它是一种长着长耳朵和短尾巴的动物。）
He spoke with a kind/sort of foreign accent.（他说话带有某种外国口音。）
No one has ever been interested in this kind/sort of overcoat.（没有人对这种大衣感兴趣。）
注意：a sort of/of a sort可以解释为“有点是又不完全是”，带有一定的贬义。如：
He is a sort of teacher.
（他可以算是一个教师。）
They served a sort of coffee/coffee of a sort.
（他们供应可以说是咖啡的东西。）
2. 当表示复数名词时，一般不用these/those kind/sort of…，而应该用名词(复数)+of this/that kind/sort。例如：
Pencil-boxes of this kind/sort sell well.（这种铅笔盒销路很好。）
Questions of that kind/sort are very difficult.（那类问题非常难。）
3. 如果是问句，问“哪一种……”，那要用What kind/sort of…，kind/sort前面不加冠词，of之后可以是单数名词，也可以是复数名词；若名词是单数，句中的动词也应为单数；若名词是复数，句中的动词也应为复数。例如：
What kind/sort of tree is this?（这是哪一种树？）
What kind/sort of trees are these?（这些是什么树？）
What kind/sort of a person is he? He is a generous man.（他是什么样的人？ 他很慷慨。）
但是：
①What kind of tree不同于What kind of a tree，前者问树的种类，后者问这个树怎么样。
②What kind of a person和What sort of a person略有不同，前者正式，后者带有贬义。
4. 如果kind/sort of与数词或不定代词连用时，应用其复数形式。例如：
There are twenty five kinds of flowers in my garden.（在我的花园里有二十五种花。）
All kinds of difficulties have to be overcome.（各种各样的困难都必须被克服。）
5. 当kind/sort of修饰形容词、副词、动词时，解释为“有点“。例如：
I’m feeling kind/sort of tired.（我觉得有点累。）
They kind/ sort of laughed at me. （他们有点嘲笑我。）
