Screenplay vs script — are they the same thing? A clear breakdown of how the terms differ, when each is used, and why the distinction matters when you submit your work.
"Screenplay" and "script" get used interchangeably in everyday conversation, and most of the time that's harmless. But the two words aren't quite synonyms — and the distinction is worth knowing, especially the first time you're naming a document for a submission.
A script is any written blueprint for something performed — for film, TV, theater, radio, or even a video game. A stage play is a script. A radio drama is a script. A screenplay is also a script — specifically, one written for film or television.
A screenplay follows a particular set of conventions: scene headings (sluglines), action lines in present tense, centered dialogue, and the rest of the standard screenplay format. A stage play script and a screenplay tell stories the same broad way but are formatted completely differently — a stage play has no sluglines or camera-adjacent conventions, because there's no camera.
In casual conversation, "I'm working on my script" and "I'm working on my screenplay" mean the same thing to most listeners, and no one will correct you. But when you're labeling a submission, a contest entry, or a query, precision helps: calling a stage play a "screenplay" signals you don't know the format conventions, which is a small but avoidable red flag for someone reading a cover letter or logline page.
Every screenplay is a script; not every script is a screenplay. If you're writing for film or television, "screenplay" is the more precise word — and getting the format right matters more than the label does. SceneCraft formats to the correct screenplay standard automatically, whichever you call it.
Rohit edits the SceneCraft blog, focused on practical, accurate guides for screenwriters at every stage of a draft.
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