differentiate between (someone or something and someone or something else)
1. to recognize the difference between people or things in any combination. (Usually refers to two entities.) In your painting, I cannot differentiate between the costume of the figure in front and the flowers in the background. Can't you differentiate between Billy and his brother? I can't differentiate between a donkey and a burro.
2. to establish or create the difference between people or things. Why don't you paint in some highlights to differentiate between the figure in the foreground and the flowers in the background?
differentiate (someone or something) from (someone or something else)
1. to recognize the difference between people and things; to tell the difference between people and things. How do you differentiate this one from that one? Can you differentiate Bill from Bob?
2. to make people and things different. I will differentiate this one from that one by painting this one red. The twins' mother used different-colored clothing to differentiate Bill from Bob.