Logo vs. Motto

Main Difference

The main difference between Logo and Motto is that the Logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises and Motto is a short sentence expressing a motivation.

• Logo

  A logo (abbreviation of logotype, from Greek: λόγος, translit. logos, lit. ‘word’ and Greek: τύπος, translit. typos, lit. ‘imprint’) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordmark.

  In the days of hot metal typesetting, a logotype was one word cast as a single piece of type (e.g. “The” in ATF Garamond), as opposed to a ligature, which is two or more letters joined, but not forming a word. By extension, the term was also used for a uniquely set and arranged typeface or colophon. At the level of mass communication and in common usage, a company’s logo is today often synonymous with its trademark or brand.

• Motto

  A motto (derived from the Latin muttum, ‘mutter’, by way of Italian motto, ‘word’, ‘sentence’) is a maxim; a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group or organization. Mottos are usually found predominantly in written form (unlike slogans, which may also be expressed orally), and may stem from long traditions of social foundations, or from significant events, such as a civil war or a revolution. A motto may be in any language, but Latin has been widely used, especially in the Western world.