"Despite" vs "In spite of" [duplicate]

Are despite and in spite of interchangeable? I prefer despite but the alternative sometimes scans better.

The meaning of in spite of and despite are interchangeable. Both expressions are discourse markers or linkers. Despite is slightly more formal than in spite of.

Despite

• a) Despite the age difference, she decided to marry him.

  b) Despite being twenty years younger, she decided to marry him.

  c) Despite the fact that she was 20 years younger, they got married.

  d) Despite their age difference, they decided to get married.

in spite of

• a) In spite of the age difference, she decided to marry him.

  b) In spite of being twenty years younger, she decided to marry him

  c) In spite of the fact that she was 20 years younger, they got married.

  d) In spite of their age difference, they decided to get married.

I would argue that in spite of and despite are interchangeable and their position can be either at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle. The only difference being that in spite of is a longer expression and requires an additional preposition, of. Despite does not require of and as a result is shorter.

Consequently, in sentences (b), (c) and (d) I would opt for "despite". But that is my opinion, and either way they are all grammatically correct.