All-topic comparison chart

One table with every fallacy at a glance. For printing, choose landscape orientation. On small screens the table scrolls sideways inside its box.

The 15 fallacies at a glance
#	Fallacy	Family	Core move	Key question	Often confused with	Not automatically fallacious when
1	Straw Man	Distort or Dodge	A straw man changes someone's real claim into an easier, more extreme, or sillier claim and attacks the changed version instead.	What did the original speaker actually claim?	Red Herring	A speaker draws out a real implication and supports each step connecting it to the original claim.
2	False Dilemma	Manipulate the Frame	A false dilemma presents two choices as if they are the only possibilities when other reasonable options exist.	What choices were named in the argument?	Straw Man	The options truly are exhaustive.
3	Slippery Slope	Make an Unsupported Leap	A slippery-slope argument claims that one step will trigger a chain ending in an extreme result without enough support for the links.	What are the steps between the first action and the final outcome?	Post Hoc and False Cause	Each link is supported by evidence or a clear mechanism.
4	Anecdotal Fallacy	Use Weak Evidence	The anecdotal fallacy treats one story or personal experience as enough proof for a broad claim, especially when stronger evidence is available.	How many cases actually support the conclusion?	Hasty Generalization	The claim is only about the person's own experience.
5	Appeal to Authority	Use Weak Evidence	This fallacy treats a claim as true mainly because an admired or powerful source says it, without checking relevant expertise and evidence.	Expertise in what field, exactly?	Bandwagon	The source has expertise relevant to the exact claim.
6	Appeal to Emotion	Manipulate the Frame	An appeal to emotion becomes fallacious when feelings are used in place of the reasons or evidence needed to support the conclusion.	What feeling is being triggered?	False Dilemma	The emotional consequence is part of the real issue.
7	Circular Reasoning	Make an Unsupported Leap	Circular reasoning uses the conclusion itself, restated or assumed, as the reason for believing the conclusion.	Could a person accept the reason without already accepting the conclusion?	Appeal to Authority	A statement is giving a definition rather than proving an uncertain claim.
8	Bandwagon	Use Weak Evidence	The bandwagon fallacy treats popularity as proof that a claim is true, a choice is best, or an action is right.	What does the number of people actually show?	Appeal to Authority	Popularity is the fact actually being measured.
9	Post Hoc and False Cause	Make an Unsupported Leap	False-cause reasoning assumes that one event caused another without enough evidence, often because the events happened together or one happened first.	Did the supposed cause actually happen before the effect?	Slippery Slope	A mechanism connects the cause and the effect.
10	Red Herring	Distort or Dodge	A red herring introduces an irrelevant issue that pulls attention away from the question or claim that needs an answer.	What was the original question?	Whataboutism	The new information corrects a false assumption behind the question.
11	Ad Hominem	Distort or Dodge	Ad hominem attacks a person's character or traits instead of answering the person's argument.	What claim or evidence was presented?	Guilt by Association	The personal fact directly affects expertise, access to information, credibility, or conflict of interest.
12	Whataboutism	Distort or Dodge	Whataboutism answers criticism by pointing to another person's wrongdoing instead of addressing the original issue.	What criticism was made first?	Red Herring	The original issue is acknowledged and answered.
13	Appeal to Tradition	Use Weak Evidence	Appeal to tradition treats a practice as right, best, or necessary mainly because it is old or has always been done.	Is age the only reason given?	Bandwagon	Preserving the tradition is itself a legitimate goal.
14	Guilt by Association	Distort or Dodge	Guilt by association dismisses a person or claim because of a disliked connection rather than relevant evidence about the person or claim.	What is the exact association?	Ad Hominem	The association shows direct participation or coordination.
15	Hasty Generalization	Use Weak Evidence	A hasty generalization draws a broad conclusion from a sample that is too small, unrepresentative, or poorly selected.	How large is the sample?	Anecdotal Fallacy	The conclusion is about the observed cases only.