How would you explain the difference between batter and dough?

I agree with you @HP

Batter is thinner and pourable as in cake batter or pancake batter. Where dough is a pliable almost solid as in cookie dough or bread dough

Batter is used to cook flat food, dough more shaplier treats.

Dough is a soft solid, and batter is a semi-viscous liquid.

I’ve never seen a kid this age with so many questions about EVERYTHING, and her 4 year old sister is right behind her and seems well on her way to being equally precocious.

Batter is liquid. Dough is pliable but is solid.

Batter is meant for making fluffy cake like treats such as pancakes,Cupcakes And cake. Whereas dough is meant for bread like foods such as Naan (I think.), Peta and bread.

Dough isn’t just for bread, the word dough is used for cookies too.

Batter is for cakes. As people said above, batter is more liquid than dough. Also, batter can be used to coat fish, like fish sticks, and also tempura veggies. Fish sticks can also be bread crumb coated, that’s something else.

The words in English are mostly based on how thick or liquid, and also common usage. I make a pound cake that has a very thick batter, it might be confused with dough if someone just looked at a bowl of the stuff, but it’s customary to say cake batter.

Other languages only have one word for both, so in translation it can be difficult for people using English as a second language.

Sorry about that, Bread and cake were the only kinds of foods I could think of.

^^your answer was fine, I was just adding to it.

Breads can be batters too! I think the essential difference is hydration. If water content so high it overcomes the binding properties of the ingredients and will not hold shape, it’s a batter. If it holds even a loose shape, it’s dough.