Around-About | Commonly Confused Words

Around

/əˈraʊnd/

In several different places; surrounding; in every direction

Sit around all these years and pray for your return?Gride shouted, throwing papers around the room.He spins around to face us.

This word has no antonyms

/əˈbaʊt/

Relating to or concerning something

She started talking about drawing.About two years after I saw the footprint.His nerves were as taut as cords about to snap.

This word has no antonyms

Around often refers to physical space or movement, like walking around a park, while about is more abstract, often used for topics or amounts.
Think of around as encircling or rotating something, while about can mean nearly, approximately, or concerning something.
If you can substitute approximately in a sentence, use about. If its more about positioning or direction, use around'.