Yes, they do completely different things. pass simply does nothing, while continue goes on with the next loop iteration. In your example, the difference would become apparent if you added another statement after the if: After executing pass, this further statement would be executed. After continue, it wouldn't.
>>> a = [0, 1, 2]
>>> for element in a:
... if not element:
... pass
... print(element)
...
0
1
2
>>> for element in a:
... if not element:
... continue
... print(element)
...
1
2
Top answer 1 of 13
542
Yes, they do completely different things. pass simply does nothing, while continue goes on with the next loop iteration. In your example, the difference would become apparent if you added another statement after the if: After executing pass, this further statement would be executed. After continue, it wouldn't.
>>> a = [0, 1, 2]
>>> for element in a:
... if not element:
... pass
... print(element)
...
0
1
2
>>> for element in a:
... if not element:
... continue
... print(element)
...
1
2
2 of 13
116
Yes, there is a difference. continue forces the loop to start at the next iteration while pass means "there is no code to execute here" and will continue through the remainder of the loop body.
Run these and see the difference:
for element in some_list:
if not element:
pass
print(1) # will print after pass
for element in some_list:
if not element:
continue
print(1) # will not print after continue
Built In
builtin.com › software-engineering-perspectives › pass-vs-continue-python
Pass vs. Continue in Python Explained | Built In
More on Python: 13 Python Code Snippets You Need to Know · There is a significant difference between pass and continue, and they are not interchangeable. Continue forces the loop to start at the next iteration, whereas pass means, “there ...
Videos
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Python Loop Control Statements: Break, Continue, Pass & Else ...
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Loops: Break & Continue | Programming Fundamentals with Python ...
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Python Break, Continue & Pass Explained with Real Examples | Loops ...
08:50
Master Python Loops : break, continue, pass Explained ! - YouTube
04:44
Break Continue in Python | 26 - YouTube
09:04
Break & Continue with Loops | Python Programming Ep. 18 - YouTube
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › python-continue-statement
Python Continue Statement - GeeksforGeeks
The continue statement in Python is a loop control statement that skips the rest of the code inside the loop for the current iteration and moves to the next iteration immediately.
Published March 13, 2026
Reddit
reddit.com › r/programminglanguages › if `continue` is used to skip the current iteration of a loop, then why not call it `skip`?
If `continue` is used to skip the current iteration of a loop, then why not call it `skip`? : r/ProgrammingLanguages
February 12, 2024 - For example, consider the following Python code: for i in range(2): try: continue finally: print(i) What does this print? If the "continue" keyword here was "skip", it would be even more confusing. ... Yes. To me, “skip” implies that an entire iteration will be omitted. Sort of like a lookahead filter. Whereas “continue” means “we’ve seen this item, we’re done and moving on” · I also agree with some other posters who said “next” might technically be a better keyword.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › how does 'continue' and 'pass' work?
r/learnpython on Reddit: How does 'continue' and 'pass' work?
December 19, 2023 -
New to Python here, I started learning like 9 days ago and I am struggling to understand what the difference is between 'continue' and 'pass', don't know how to use them in loops, been searching YouTube videos and asking ChatGPT but I still couldn't get it. Anyone out there can help?
Top answer 1 of 5
47
pass is a "no-op", a "no operation", a statement that means "this line does nothing." There's some corner cases where that's useful, since all of Python's flow control constructs have to be followed by at least one indented line. So you can use pass in cases where you need to provide a line, but you don't want to do anything. It's like when you see a page in a book that says "this page intentionally left blank." continue is a statement that means "within the context of this loop, skip from here to the next iteration."
2 of 5
8
continue is a pretty common operation. It skips your current loop iteration to the next one. So, in this loop ... for i in range(10): if i == 5: continue print(i) ... the number 5 will never be printed. When you have nested loops, continue " continues with the next cycle of the nearest enclosing loop ." pass " is a null operation — when it is executed, nothing happens. It is useful as a placeholder when a statement is required syntactically, but no code needs to be executed." For example: def f(arg): pass # a function that does nothing (yet)
Programiz
programiz.com › python-programming › break-continue
Python break and continue (With Examples)
The continue statement skips the current iteration of the loop and the control flow of the program goes to the next iteration.
Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › tutorial › controlflow.html
4. More Control Flow Tools — Python 3.14.4 documentation
The continue statement continues with the next iteration of the loop:
freeCodeCamp
freecodecamp.org › news › python-break-and-python-continue-how-to-skip-to-the-next-function
Python Break and Python Continue – How to Skip to the Next Function
March 14, 2022 - We are going to add a condition in the loop that says if the number is 50, then skip that iteration and move onto the next one. num = 10 while num < 100: num = num + 10 if num == 50: continue print("Current num: ", num) ... As you can see, the number 50 is not printed to the console because of the continue statement inside the if statement. The break and continue statements in Python are used to skip parts of the current loop or break out of the loop completely.
DigitalOcean
digitalocean.com › community › tutorials › how-to-use-break-continue-and-pass-statements-when-working-with-loops-in-python-3
How to Break Out of Multiple Loops in Python | DigitalOcean
August 7, 2025 - Python provides three powerful ... is met, effectively stopping the loop execution. The continue statement lets you skip the rest of the code inside the loop for the current iteration and move on to the next ......
Top answer 1 of 11
7
I’m just posting because nobody has answered your original question,
though Rob’s example code hints at it.
The continue statement causes execution to jump to the next loop
iteration i.e. to the top of the loop, where the condition is tested.
The problem with your code:
name = 'Jesaa29 Roy'
s…
2 of 11
4
Pease use code formatting.
What will happen if you reach space? Counter is not advanced so it will loop endlessly.
First step of getting information about continue could be interactive interpreter built-in help:
>>> help('continue')
The "continue" statement
************************
continue_s…
W3Schools
w3schools.com › python › ref_keyword_continue.asp
Python continue Keyword
Python Examples Python Compiler ... Certificate Python Training ... The continue keyword is used to end the current iteration in a for loop (or a while loop), and continues to the next iteration....
Real Python
realpython.com › python-continue
Skip Ahead in Loops With Python's continue Keyword – Real Python
March 27, 2025 - In a for loop, continue moves the iterator to the next item to be processed. If no other items are available, then the loop ends. Assume you have the following for loop that computes the sum of all numbers in a list: ... This works fine, but ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › when should i use the 'continue' keyword?
r/learnpython on Reddit: When should I use the 'continue' keyword?
April 26, 2024 -
So, I tried searching the group and I found people asking *what* the continue keyword does, which is not my question. I think I understand it. Basically, it just says "hey, if x condition is met do not do what you did to every other element in the loop. Potentially do this instead or Just go to the next item."
The question I have is why should I use it instead of just an if-esle statement,, or if you prefer continue why should I use an if-else and not default to continue.
To put it into context, what is the meaningful difference between the following code blocks:
for i in range(10):
if i == 7:
print('7? I hate prime numbers bigger than 5!')
continue
print(f'Woo! I love the number {i}')and
for i in range(10):
if i == 7:
print('7? I hate prime numbers bigger than 5!')
else:
print(f'Woo! I love the number {i}')Both got me the same result. Is it just a "Python has many ways to do the same thing" deal or am I missing a crucial difference?
Top answer 1 of 15
17
Continue is a fairly clean way to skip the rest of the loop code for that element. For example you might have a situation like the following: for element in elements: if element == unusable_edge_case: continue # skip this element if element == problematic: if element == fixable: do-fix-here # apply fix, element is now compatible with the 30-lines-of-code below else: continue # skip this element do 30-lines-of-code here You can rewrite this with nested if/else logic, but it is not pretty and the overall intention will not be as easy to read. You might even mess up the exact nesting logic for if/else. Edit: Reworded the ...lines-of-code... placeholder names.
2 of 15
2
If you have two things to do like in your example, you can use either pattern. Let's say you have a list of items. You need to iterate through them and only perform an action if certain conditions are met. If not, it is a no-op iteration. for thing in things: if thing.property != Y: continue; # Do stuff here It's an elegant way to quickly move on.
Real Python
realpython.com › ref › keywords › continue
continue | Python Keywords – Real Python
In Python, the continue keyword within loops lets you skip the rest of the code inside the loop for the current iteration and jump to the next iteration. When you use continue, the loop doesn’t terminate.
Simplilearn
simplilearn.com › home › resources › software development › break continue pass in python: loop control made easy
Break Continue Pass in Python: Loop Control Made Easy
March 4, 2024 - Discover the secrets of Python loop control with break, continue, and pass. Learn how to navigate complex code effortlessly and improve your programming skills.
Address 5851 Legacy Circle, 6th Floor, Plano, TX 75024 United States
Data Science Dojo
discuss.datasciencedojo.com › python
What are break, continue and pass statements in Python? - Python - Data Science Dojo Discussions
November 9, 2022 - In programming, achieving precise control over the execution flow is crucial for crafting efficient and functional code. Python offers several constructs to manage the flow of a program. Among these, the break, continue, and pass statements play pivotal roles in influencing the execution of loops and conditional structures.
Quora
quora.com › What-is-break-continue-and-pass-in-Python
What is break, continue, and pass in Python? - Quora
Answer: Control statements are used to control the execution of the program based on values and logic. *Break *Continue *Pass Break :- When the program encounters a break statement it will exit from the loop it contains and control will go to the statement after the loop . example- Continue:- wh...
Scaler
scaler.com › home › topics › python › break, pass and continue statement in python
Break, Pass and Continue Statement in Python - Scaler Topics
May 17, 2023 - Continue is also one of the useful loop control statements in Python. It is almost the opposite of the break statement discussed above. Break terminates the loop, and the continue statement forces the program to execute the next iteration of the loop.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › python: explain the usage of the following functions - continue, break, pass
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: Python: Explain the usage of the following functions - continue, break, pass
December 8, 2013 -
I'm an absolute beginner currently learning Python. I'm currently starting to learn loops, where these 3 functions appear. I'm having trouble understanding how the functions can be used in a code and I don't know the proper syntax. It'll really help me if you can provide a simple example that illustrates the 3 functions.
Top answer 1 of 2
11
continue, break, and pass aren't functions, but keywords. Just like how if, for, and while aren't functions, the same applies to these three. pass is the simplest to understand. Sometimes, you might want to define a function just so that it's there, but you aren't quite ready to fill it in yet. Except, just defining a function, like this: def toaster(): Will give an error, something like "Expected indented block after toaster():. Essentially, pass is a valid expression, but it doesn't do anything. It's just like a filler. So, to define our empty function, we can do this: def toaster(): pass And have it run without errors. continue and break are related in that they're both used only in loops. These loops can be either while loops or for loops, but we'll use this for loop as an example: for i in range(10): print(i) This outputs: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 So, in english terms, break "jumps" out of a loop at the point where its called, and everything following below it isn't run. Consider this new loop with an if statement and a break: for i in range(10): if i == 5: break print(i) This outputs: 0 1 2 3 4 Which makes sense, because after printing "4", the next loop causes the expression i == 5 to evaluate to True, which means we break. Once we break, we immediately jump out of the loop and into whatever code comes next, after the loop. In this example, we have none. Note how that "5" is never printed, because we break before we reach the print statement for when i = 5. For continue, instead of exiting the entire loop, it just skips everything that is supposed to follow in the current iteration, and jumps to the next. Here is a similar example with continue: for i in range(10): if i == 5: continue print(i) And this outputs: 0 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 Note how the loop still runs its full length, but that 5 isn't printed. This is because when i == 5 evaluates to True, we continue, which means that everything following is skipped, and we go to the next iteration, where i = 6. Let me know if you have any questions!
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7
Those aren't functions, they are statements. (That means they are not used with the function call operator (...).) continue aborts the current iteration and starts the next one without finishing the current one. break exits the loop immediately. pass is merely a placeholder for when an indented block is syntactically required but you don't have anything to write. It shouldn't be used that often, certainly not in newbie code. (Using it generally means you have a redundant if or else block that should be removed.) Try these examples: for letter in 'abcdefghi': if letter in 'aeiou': continue print(letter) for num in (10, 14, 17, 12, 8): if num > 15: break print(num)
Medium
medium.com › swlh › pass-break-and-continue-in-python-3-93c3ebe221b4
Pass, Break and Continue in Python 3 | by Josh Robin | The Startup | Medium
December 26, 2019 - A general rule of thumb for Python ... pass, break, or continue, if you can find another way to accomplish the same task without it (and you almost always can) you should go that route instead....