Distinctiveness is a common factor. Yet they have distinct differences. ???

1) We are building us a model of those objects and this model is build out of many "things". (parts, properties, functions, etc..) In this case one of these things can be found in both objects, at least in an equivalent form. This made them the same, and all the things that they have not in common make them different. 2) "Difference is the contrary of equality, in particular of objects. Differences can only be stated on the basis of a comparison or categorization. Since a complete comparison of objects or things is seldom possible in practice, only relevant or defining attributes are used for stating equality or difference. Similar objects are only different with respect to attributes of minor discriminative value. In order for something to be different, you must have something to compare it to. In particular, difference can refer to: * In Philosophy, Differance * In mathematics, difference always means: - the result of subtraction difference operator finite difference percent difference - difference in set theory: see complement and symmetric difference - inequality" Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Different

What ever they have in common is how they are similar. Whatever they don't have in common is how they are different. Was this a serious question?

For an excellent article, with illustrations, see this link. suggestion: scroll down to the illustrations first, before you try to muddle through definitions. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/determinate-determinables/