Geek vs. Nerd: What’s the Difference?

The words “geek” and “nerd” are often used interchangeably. But what’s the difference? Would the movie Revenge of the Nerds be the same if it had been called Revenge of the Geeks? Probably not, because “nerd” traditionally describes someone of high intellect (who probably carries a TI calculator in her pocket) while a geek is a gamer/sci-fi/fantasy connoisseur (who probably wears ironic tee shirts). Not sure if you’re a geek or a nerd? Here’s some word association to help you tell the difference. Match the image that you think best describes the word:

1. Transformer:

GEEK

NERD

2. Android

GEEK

NERD

3. One Billion Watts

GEEK

NERD

4. Communicator

GEEK

NERD

5. K9 Rover

GEEK

NERD