Skip to content

What's the difference between a method and a function?

What is a method? And what is a function? What's the difference?

A function lives on its own:

const bark = () => {
  console.log('wof!')
}

bark()

or

function bark() {
  console.log('wof!')
}

bark()

A method is a function assigned to an object property:

const dog = {
  bark: () => {
    console.log('wof!')
  },
}

dog.bark()

The method can access the object properties, but only when it’s a regular function, not an arrow function:

const dog = {
  name: 'Roger',
  bark: function () {
    console.log(`I am ${this.name}. wof!`)
  },
}

dog.bark()

→ Get my JavaScript Beginner's Handbook

→ I wrote 17 books to help you become a better developer:

  • C Handbook
  • Command Line Handbook
  • CSS Handbook
  • Express Handbook
  • Git Cheat Sheet
  • Go Handbook
  • HTML Handbook
  • JS Handbook
  • Laravel Handbook
  • Next.js Handbook
  • Node.js Handbook
  • PHP Handbook
  • Python Handbook
  • React Handbook
  • SQL Handbook
  • Svelte Handbook
  • Swift Handbook
...download them all now!

Also, JOIN MY CODING BOOTCAMP, an amazing cohort course that will be a huge step up in your coding career - covering React, Next.js - next edition February 2025

Bootcamp 2025

Join the waiting list