Collocations: The Word Partners That Make English Sound Natural

Some words just go together. We make a decision, not do a decision. Tea is strong, but rain is heavy. These natural partnerships are called collocations, and using them well is a big part of sounding fluent.

What a collocation is

A collocation is a combination of words that frequently occur together, and sound natural to native speakers. There's often no logical reason for the choice; it's just the way English has settled.

Why they matter

• They make your English sound natural. "Do a mistake" is understandable, but "make a mistake" is what people say.
• They speed up communication. Whole chunks come to mind at once.
• They improve writing. Precise pairings are clearer than vague ones.
• They help with exams. Examiners reward natural word choices.

Common verb collocations

make: a decision, a mistake, an effort, progress, money, a suggestion, a phone call, a promise do: homework, the dishes, business, your best, research, a favour, exercise take: a photo, a break, a chance, a look, a shower, notes, medicine have: a shower, a meal, a conversation, fun, a look, an idea pay: attention, a visit, a compliment, a fine give: advice, a speech, a hand, a chance, an example keep: a promise, a secret, in touch, calm catch: a cold, a bus, a ball, someone's eye

Adjective and noun pairs

• heavy rain, traffic, smoker, burden
• strong tea, coffee, wind, opinion, evidence
• fast food, train, learner
• quick meal, look, glance
• deep sleep, breath, concern, trouble
• high hopes, risk, standards, season
• light rain, meal, breeze, sleeper
• bitter disappointment, cold, truth

Notice that we say heavy rain and strong wind, but not the reverse.

Adverb and adjective pairs

• deeply concerned, grateful, sorry
• highly unlikely, recommended, skilled
• fully aware, booked, prepared
• utterly ridiculous, exhausted
• bitterly cold, disappointed

Noun and noun pairs

• a piece of advice, information, news, furniture
• a round of applause, drinks
• a bar of chocolate, soap
• a pack of cards, wolves
• a sense of humour, direction, achievement

How to learn collocations

1. Learn words in chunks. Instead of just decision, note make a decision.
2. Read and listen, noticing what words appear together.
3. Use a dictionary that gives example sentences and common combinations.
4. Keep a collocation notebook, organised by key word.
5. Test yourself: cover one word, and try to recall the partner.

Common learner errors

• Do versus make: do a mistake should be make a mistake.
• Big versus great: a great deal, not a big deal (unless you mean a big deal as in importance!).
• Say versus tell: tell the truth, say a word.

Dictionary tip

Example sentences are the best guide. If an entry shows the word with certain partners, that's a clue about natural usage.

Practice

Choose five verbs and write three collocations for each. Then use them in a short paragraph.

Learn natural word partners from example sentences in English Dictionary →