.append() appends a single object at the end of the list:
>>> x = [1, 2, 3]
>>> x.append([4, 5])
>>> print(x)
[1, 2, 3, [4, 5]]
.extend() appends multiple objects that are taken from inside the specified iterable:
>>> x = [1, 2, 3]
>>> x.extend([4, 5])
>>> print(x)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › append() vs. extend()
r/learnpython on Reddit: append() vs. extend()
July 22, 2023 -
Can someone please explain the difference between the append and extend functions in Python really quickly? Is it just that extend can add multiple items simultaneously, whereas append can only add one at a time? Can you also please include an example if you have the time?
Top answer 1 of 2
16
Append takes an item and inserts it as an item to the list. Extend takes a LIST, and inserts each item in the given list as items. a=[1,2,3] a.extend([4]) # will result in [1,2,3,4] a.append([4]) # will result in [1,2,3,[4]] The last item being a list containing 4, and not just 4.
2 of 2
1
Hey mate! In short, the method extend() requires an iterable argument.
Is it possible to add items to a list without using something like the .append function Nov 20, 2023
r/learnpython 2y ago
Top answer 1 of 16
5931
.append() appends a single object at the end of the list:
>>> x = [1, 2, 3]
>>> x.append([4, 5])
>>> print(x)
[1, 2, 3, [4, 5]]
.extend() appends multiple objects that are taken from inside the specified iterable:
>>> x = [1, 2, 3]
>>> x.extend([4, 5])
>>> print(x)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
2 of 16
743
.append() adds an element to a list,
whereas .extend() concatenates the first list with another list/iterable.
>>> xs = ['A', 'B']
>>> xs
['A', 'B']
>>> xs.append("D")
>>> xs
['A', 'B', 'D']
>>> xs.append(["E", "F"])
>>> xs
['A', 'B', 'D', ['E', 'F']]
>>> xs.insert(2, "C")
>>> xs
['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', ['E', 'F']]
>>> xs.extend(["G", "H"])
>>> xs
['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', ['E', 'F'], 'G', 'H']
Lists in Python: .append() v. .insert()
What you just said - append appends elements to the end, insert inserts them in an arbitrary position. More on reddit.com
4
1
August 11, 2020append() vs. extend()
Append takes an item and inserts it as an item to the list. Extend takes a LIST, and inserts each item in the given list as items. a=[1,2,3] a.extend([4]) # will result in [1,2,3,4] a.append([4]) # will result in [1,2,3,[4]] The last item being a list containing 4, and not just 4. More on reddit.com
11
4
July 22, 2023Equivalent of dictionary.update() but for appending when value is a collection?
There is not an exact equivalent, but there are things that are similar. I would suggest using a default dict: import collections d = collections.defaultdict(list) d[5].append(4) But if it had to be a standard dictionary, you could do d[ind] = d.get(ind, []) + [x] Note: the second will not modify existing lists in place, which may or may not be a problem. EDIT: Per u/commy2 's reply below, setdefault is better way if you're restricted to regular dictionaries - especially if your lists will be getting long so that copying them is nontrivial, or if it's important to modify the lists in place. More on reddit.com
4
2
July 20, 2024How do I concatenate two lists in Python?
Use the + operator. More on reddit.com
25
35
May 8, 2023Videos
00:48
Extend Vs Append Python Lists #python #code #programming - YouTube
07:29
Append OR Extend - How to Use Them Correctly in Python 😎 - YouTube
08:08
"append" VS "extend" in Python - YouTube
Python append vs extend — What's the Real Difference? #shorts
07:12
Simple Python | Append, Extend & Insert explained - YouTube
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › append-extend-python
Difference between append() and extend() in Python - GeeksforGeeks
January 13, 2026 - append() adds a single item (of any type) to the end of a list. extend() adds all elements from an iterable (like a list, tuple, or set) to the end of the current list.
Medium
medium.com › @python-javascript-php-html-css › knowing-when-to-use-python-lists-append-vs-extend-97f970d08744
Knowing When to Use Python Lists’ append() vs. extend()
August 24, 2024 - On the other hand, extend() caters to a more complex need — merging one list with another. This method takes an iterable as its argument and appends each of its elements to the list, making it a go-to choice for concatenating lists efficiently.
Sentry
sentry.io › sentry answers › python › append vs. extend in python
Append vs. extend in Python | Sentry
April 15, 2023 - The append() method is used to add an item to the end of a list, whereas the extend() method is used to merge a second list (or other iterable) onto the end of a list.
Naukri
naukri.com › code360 › library › difference-between-append-and-extend-in-python
Difference Between Append and Extend in Python
August 11, 2025 - Almost there... just a few more seconds
DEV Community
dev.to › cscarpitta › 2-reasons-to-use-extend-instead-of-append-in-python-2kg2
2 reasons to use extend() instead of append() in Python - DEV Community
April 10, 2022 - So, extend() performs only one allocate operation. Adding many items to a list using append() in a loop can require many allocate operations. In order to mitigate this inefficiency, Python developers implemented a over-allocation, which reduces ...
Afternerd
afternerd.com › blog › append-vs-extend
Python Lists: Append vs Extend (With Examples) - Afternerd
January 13, 2019 - Unlike append that can take an object of any type as an argument, extend can only take an iterable object as an argument.
Daily.dev
app.daily.dev › posts › append-vs-extend-in-python-vwhq4jc3h
"append" VS "extend" in Python | daily.dev
May 25, 2025 - The post explains the difference between 'append' and 'extend' methods in Python lists. 'Append' adds a single element, while 'extend' allows adding multiple...
Roberto Reif
robertoreif.com › blog › 2025 › 2 › 4 › python-lists-append-versus-extend
PYTHON LISTS: Append versus Extend — Roberto Reif
October 25, 2025 - To add a single item (object) to the end of the list, we use the append method. This increases the list's length by 1. Note that appending another list creates a list of lists. To extend the list by adding each element from an iterable (e.g., ...
freeCodeCamp
freecodecamp.org › news › python-list-append-vs-python-list-extend
Python List Append VS Python List Extend – The Difference Explained with Array Method Examples
March 22, 2020 - The name of the method extend. (Now things start to change...). Within parentheses, an iterable (list, tuple, dictionary, set, or string) that contains the items that will be added as individual elements of the list. 💡 Tips: According to the Python documentation, an iterable is defined as "an object capable of returning its members one at a time".
Wyzant
wyzant.com › resources › ask an expert
Difference between append vs. extend list methods in Python? | Wyzant Ask An Expert
May 11, 2019 - append() adds its argument as a single element to the end of the list. If you append a list, the entire list becomes one element. extend() takes an iterable and adds each item from it individually to the list.
Srinimf
srinimf.com › 2024 › 09 › 12 › append-vs-extend-a-detailed-comparison-for-python-lists
Append() vs Extend(): A Detailed Comparison for Python Lists – Srinimf
September 13, 2024 - In Python, append adds a single element to the end of a list, while extend adds multiple elements individually. Use append for single elements and extend for iterable concatenation.
Scaler
scaler.com › home › topics › difference between append and extend in python list methods
Difference Between Append and Extend in Python List Methods | Scaler Topics
April 4, 2024 - The append() method in the Python programming language adds an item to a list that already exists whereas the extend() method adds each of the iterable elements which is supplied as a parameter to the end of the original list.
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › python-list-extend-vs-append
Python List Extend vs Append - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - Enhanced Readability: The use of extend can enhance code readability by clearly indicating the intention to concatenate multiple iterables, making the code more self-explanatory. The append method, on the other hand, is used to add a single ...
TechGeekBuzz
techgeekbuzz.com › blog › difference-between-python-list-append-and-extend-method
Difference Between Python List append and extend Method
However, unlike the append() method, the extend() method only accepts an iterable object as a parameter and adds all the elements from that iterable object to the existing list.
Shaalaa
shaalaa.com › question-bank-solutions › differentiate-between-append-and-extend-functions-of-list_333565
Differentiate between append() and extend() functions of list. | Shaalaa.com
October 15, 2022 - The append() function takes a single element as an argument and appends it to the list. The argument can be any datatype, even a list. The argument will be added as a single element.
freeCodeCamp
freecodecamp.org › news › python-list-methods-append-vs-extend
Python List Methods – append( ) vs extend( ) in Python Explained with Code Examples
June 21, 2021 - So if you extend a list of length len1 with a list of length len2 , the length of the list on which the extend() method is called is len1 + len2. What if we wish to add a single item and not the entire list (or any iterable) to our existing list? In the following example, let's add the boolean value True to list_1 using append()as shown below.
Programiz
programiz.com › python-programming › list
Python List (With Examples)
December 30, 2025 - For example, fruits = ['apple', ... List:", fruits) ... The list extend() method method all the items of the specified iterable, such as list, tuple, dictionary or string , to the end of a list....
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › python-list-append-method
Python List append() Method - GeeksforGeeks
May 27, 2026 - Explanation: append(8) adds 8 to the end of the list a.