Light switches......

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Hello, can anyone help. I'm replacing my light switches and all has been going well until I got to the hallway. The terminals are labeled differently as in the picture between the old and new and I think I may have bought the wrong switch. Would this switch work if I simply put the wires in to the same geographic positions or do I need to buy a different switch. This is one end of the hallway and there is another at the other end. Thanks for looking.
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What you have bought is an 'intermediate' switch, which in one switch position connects together the terminals on the left and terminals on the right, and in the other switch position connects together the left top and right bottom and vice versa.

Intermediate switches can also be used as two-way (like old switch) and one-way switches.
Two-way switches can also be used as one-way.
One-way switches are only that.
 
To clarify what's going on for you:

The old switch is 1 gang 2 way switch, which traditionally only has three terminals - BUT this particular one has a fourth terminal purely for connecting neutrals togethers. You don't have neutrals there.

As a result of presumably copying the old switch, this may well be why you have bought a 1 gang intermediate instead of a 1 gang 2 way switch.

No major problem though, as EFLI has pointed out, it can still be used.
 
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I see, I think I follow. So my wires need to be all to the left or all to the right? Ive been earthing the new metal ones to the back boxes too. Just trying to get straight again after the plasterer finished and no chance of an electrician coming before el lockdown
 

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