Although, despite, even if, even though, in spite of, much as, though, whereas and while are all used to link two contrasting ideas or show that one fact makes the other fact surprising. They can all be used at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence.

The most common word used for contrasting ideas, “but” is generally found in between the two contrasting ideas within a sentence and always follows a comma.

The following words or short phrases contrast two items or ideas: unlike in contrast to as opposed to different from whereas

Some common contrasting linking words include “however,” “although,” “nevertheless,” “on the other hand,” “but,” “yet,” “despite,” “in contrast,” “on the contrary,” and “whereas.”