What is the difference between a veranda and a pergola

What is the difference between a pergola and a veranda and which is right for enhancing your own yard? There are many kinds of outdoor structures that offer shade and protection from the elements so that you can make the most of enjoying your yard even when it is very hot or very wet outside.
 
Although many of the different names for these structures - such as veranda vs pergola - are used interchangeably in colloquial conversation, architecturally speaking, these are two distinctly different kinds of structures. 

Is It “Veranda” or “Verandah”?

First of all, after a few Google searches with mixed results, you may be asking yourself if the proper spelling is with or without the “h” at the end. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, both spellings are technically correct. However, the spelling without the “h” at the end is commonly preferred and thought to be the more refined of the two options, so many people prefer to spell it “veranda” over “verandah.”

The History of the Veranda

The veranda first became popular in Australia in the 1850s with the widespread rise of colonial buildings. Next, they became popular in the Southern United States of America in the early 1900s as a way to deal with extreme summer heat prior to the invention of air conditioning. This architectural feature is particularly common in Creole townhouses found in New Orleans.

What Makes It a Veranda?

Structurally speaking, verandas are similar to covered porches. They are always attached to a residential building at ground level with a flat, curved, or slanted roof that provides both shade and protection from the elements. Like a wrap-around porch, they often wrap around the front and multiple sides of the building and are accessible from many rooms throughout the house. They tend to be partially enclosed with a railing and serve as a midway point between being indoors and being outdoors. They offer a cool place to relax and often people would sleep outside on the veranda during hot summers (prior to modern air conditioning).

How is a Pergola Different From a Veranda?

Unlike a veranda, an aluminium pergola is not required to be attached to the main structure, though it often can be. A pergola may be its own freestanding structure that is set apart from the main house, or it can be a pergola that is attached to the house.
 
While a veranda often wraps around multiple sides of a building, a pergola would not. If you wanted shade on more than one side of your home, you would likely build two separate pergolas rather than connecting the structures. On that note, while a veranda would likely start at the front of the structure and extend from the front door, a pergola is more commonly found around the backyard (however, there’s nothing to say you couldn’t put a pergola at the front of your house).
 
Structurally, pergolas can be much less elaborate than a veranda, sometimes consisting of little more than beams and rafters to provide intermittent shade rather than full covered protection. However, more modern pergola designs that are made with vinyl or aluminum pergola kits can offer 100% protection from sun and rain, without the bulky structure of a full-on veranda. A pergola with a retractable roof also gives you the option for shade or sunshine, while a veranda is an immovable structure by definition.