The difference between pharyngitis and tonsillitis can be determined from the etiology, symptoms and location. 1. Etiology: acute pharyngitis pharyngitis is dominated by viral infections, with Coxsackie virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus being the most common, and acute tonsillitis with Streptococcus b hemolyticus as the main causative agent. 2. Symptoms: acute pharyngitis may have throat itching, sore throat, foreign body sensation, burning sensation, cough and other discomforts, acute tonsillitis may have high fever, severe sore throat, especially when swallowing pain is obvious. 3. Site: pharyngitis is the inflammation of the entire pharyngeal cavity, the pharyngeal cavity contains tonsils, but tonsil inflammation is more limited, mainly the inflammation of the tonsils themselves. Pharyngitis and tonsillitis are inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, if there is no significant improvement in the short term, you should promptly go to a regular hospital, by the doctor according to the symptoms, signs and auxiliary examination to determine the specific cause of the disease, according to the cause of the correct treatment.