That's awesome vs That's so cool

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

That's awesome

Informal Top 1,000 (very common)

That's so cool

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

Most common: That's awesome

	That's awesome	That's so cool
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //ðæts ˈɔːsəm// 🇺🇸 //ðæts ˈɔsəm//	🇬🇧 //ðæts səʊ kuːl// 🇺🇸 //ðæts soʊ kul//
Meaning	That's really great or impressive.	That is very good or impressive.
Example	You just won the contest? That's awesome!	Did you see that skateboard trick? That's so cool!
Register	Informal	Informal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
Collocations	that's fantastic, that's amazing, that's great	that's so awesome, that's so great, that's so impressive
Common mistakes	Used in overly formal contexts., Confused with 'that's awfully' (which has a negative connotation).	Overusing it in formal situations., Not recognizing it's more suitable for positive situations., Confusing with 'that's cool' as a dismissive response.
Usage notes	Use this phrase in casual conversations to express excitement or approval. Avoid in formal writing.	Use this phrase in casual conversations to express enthusiasm or approval. It's appropriate among friends but may seem too informal in professional settings.

See it in real clips

Avengers › Avengers Endgame

That's awesome.

That's awesome

Succession › S1 E1

- that's like an underground lake. - That's so cool!

That's so cool

Frequently asked questions: That's awesome vs That's so cool

What's the difference between That's awesome and That's so cool?

That's awesome: That's really great or impressive. That's so cool: That is very good or impressive.

Which is more common: That's awesome and That's so cool?

That's awesome is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

That's awesome: You just won the contest? That's awesome! That's so cool: Did you see that skateboard trick? That's so cool!

Can I use That's awesome and That's so cool interchangeably?

Not always. That's awesome and That's so cool are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.