In most sentences the comma goes after “however,” and a semicolon or a period goes before it. Write “The flight was delayed; however, we still made the connection.” A comma alone in that slot creates a comma splice, which is the mistake this question usually comes from.
The catch is that “however” does two unrelated jobs in English, and one of them takes no commas at all. Deciding on the comma before or after however therefore starts with identifying which job the word is doing, and the rest follows from position.
The Two Jobs “However” Does
When “however” means but, nevertheless, or on the other hand, it is a conjunctive adverb. It comments on the relationship between two ideas, and it needs punctuation on both sides.
When “however” means in whatever way or no matter how, it is an ordinary adverb. It attaches directly to what follows and takes no comma at all: “however you slice it,” “however hard she tried,” “do it however you like.”
Read your sentence with “but” swapped in. If the meaning survives, you have the conjunctive adverb and the punctuation rules below apply. If the sentence collapses, you have the plain adverb, and no comma belongs anywhere near it.
Punctuation by Position
Once you know it is the conjunctive adverb, position decides everything.
| Where “however” sits | Punctuation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Start of a sentence | Comma after only | However, the deadline has not moved. |
| Joining two independent clauses | Semicolon before, comma after | The budget was approved; however, hiring is frozen. |
| Interrupting one clause | Comma on both sides | The budget, however, was approved late. |
| End of a sentence | Comma before only | Hiring is frozen, however. |
| Meaning “in whatever way” | No comma at all | Finish it however you can. |
Four of those five rows put a comma after “however” or on both sides of it. That is why the short answer to the question is “after,” with the semicolon doing the heavy lifting in front.
Semicolon or Comma Before “However”?
Use a semicolon before “however” whenever two complete sentences meet at that point, and reserve the comma for cases where “however” interrupts a single clause. This is the rule writers break most often, and the error has a name:
- ✗ “The report was late, however, the client understood.”
- ✓ “The report was late; however, the client understood.”
- ✓ “The report was late. However, the client understood.”
The wrong version joins two full sentences with nothing but commas, which is a comma splice, the error Purdue OWL’s comma rules warn about most explicitly. “However” cannot hold two clauses together the way and or but can, because it is an adverb rather than a coordinating conjunction. That single distinction is the whole difference between this word and its closest synonym, which is why the comma sits before “but” but after “however”.
A period works wherever a semicolon works. Choose the semicolon when the two ideas are tightly linked and you want the reader to feel the pivot; choose the period when the sentence is already long.
“However” in the Middle of a Sentence
Mid-sentence placement is where writers hesitate, and there are two different situations hiding in it.
If “however” interrupts a single clause, bracket it with commas: “The revised figures, however, tell a different story.” Those paired commas work exactly like parentheses, and you can test them by lifting the word out; the sentence should still read cleanly.
If “however” sits between two complete clauses, it belongs to the second one, and the punctuation before it must be a semicolon or period even though the word appears mid-sentence: “We finished early; however, the client had already left.” What sits in front of “however” is decided by the clause that ends there, not by the word itself.
Placement also shifts emphasis. Putting “however” after the first few words of the second clause (“The client, however, had already left”) softens the contrast, while starting the sentence with it lands harder.
Can a Sentence End With “However”?
Yes, and it takes a comma before it: “The offer expires Friday. The terms are negotiable, however.” This placement is grammatically correct and common in speech, where it lets the contrast arrive as an afterthought.
In formal writing it reads slightly conversational, so many editors move the word forward. Nothing is wrong with the end position; it is a register choice rather than a correctness one.
When “However” Takes No Comma
The plain adverb sense of “however,” meaning in whatever way or no matter how, refuses commas entirely. Inserting one does not just look wrong; it changes what the sentence says, turning a clear statement into a puzzling one.
- “However you look at it, the numbers work.” (Not “However, you look at it.”)
- “However hard the exam is, she will pass.”
- “Book it however you prefer.”
Watch the first example closely: with a comma after “however,” it becomes a contrast statement about looking at something, which is not the intended meaning at all. The comma changes the sentence rather than decorating it.
FAQ: Comma Before or After However
Is there a comma or semicolon before “however”?
The comma before or after however question splits on this point: use a semicolon when “however” joins two complete sentences, and a comma only when it interrupts a single clause. A comma between two independent clauses creates a comma splice, the most common error with this word.
How do you use “however” in a sentence?
Place it where the contrast belongs and punctuate by position: “However, prices rose” at the start, “Prices, however, rose” mid-clause, or “Costs fell; however, prices rose” between two clauses. All three are correct and differ only in emphasis.
Is it grammatically correct to end a sentence with “however”?
Yes. “The terms are negotiable, however” is correct, with a comma before the word. It reads more conversational than front placement, so formal writing often moves it earlier in the sentence.
Can you use “however” after a comma?
Only when the comma is closing a phrase inside one clause, as in “The revised figures, however, tell a different story.” If a full sentence ends before “however,” that comma must become a semicolon or a period.
The one-line version: put a semicolon in front of “however” and a comma behind it, unless the word means “in whatever way,” in which case leave it alone entirely.
