Ever wonder why “do a mistake” sounds off, but “make a mistake” feels right? That’s collocations — the word pairs that native speakers grab without thinking. This list of around 250 common English collocations is your shortcut to sounding more natural, whether you’re chatting with friends or writing an email.
Inside the interactive table, you’ll find each collocation with a plain-English meaning, a realistic example sentence, and easy-to-read US IPA so you pronounce it correctly. Tap the play button next to any entry to hear it spoken aloud — your ears need training, not just your eyes.
Grab a cup of tea and a pencil, because word combinations are where English starts to sound really natural. Scroll to the bottom for the free printable common collocations in english vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable common collocations in english flashcards.
If you want to turn collocations into real speech, try our free chunk-based English lessons. Start with Lesson 1 — you’ll learn speakable phrases right away.
Quick Quiz
Think you’ve got a feel for natural English? Take the short quiz below to see which collocations you already own and which ones still need a little love.
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Choose a practical next step when you are ready.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| keep control | maintain power over something | Try to keep control of your emotions. |
| keep in mind | remember and consider | Keep in mind that the store closes early. |
| keep in touch | stay in contact with someone | Let’s keep in touch after the course. |
| keep quiet | not make noise or speak | Please keep quiet during the movie. |
| keep the change | keep extra money as a tip | Here’s $10 — keep the change. |
| launch a product | to introduce a new product to the market | The company launched a new product. |
| lay off staff | to dismiss employees due to lack of work | The company laid off staff last year. |
| lose weight | to become lighter in body weight | She wants to lose weight. |
| low cost | not expensive | This service has low cost. |
| low price | a small amount of money | They sell products at a low price. |
| make a call | to telephone someone | I need to make a call. |
| make a copy | to duplicate a document | Can you make a copy of this document? |
| make a decision | to choose after thinking | She needs to make a decision soon. |
| make a difference | to have an important effect | Good teachers make a difference in students’ lives. |
| make a list | to write items in order | Make a list of things you need to buy. |
| make a loss | to lose money in a business | The company made a loss. |
| make a mess | to make things untidy | The kids made a mess in the kitchen. |
| make a mistake | to do something wrong | I made a mistake in my homework. |
| make a phone call | to call someone by phone | I need to make a phone call. |
| make a plan | to decide what to do | Let’s make a plan for the weekend. |
| make a profit | to earn more money than you spend | The business made a profit. |
| make a reservation | to book a table, room, etc. | We made a reservation at the restaurant. |
| make a suggestion | to propose an idea | Can I make a suggestion? |
| make an effort | to try hard | You should make an effort to speak English every day. |
| make breakfast | to prepare morning meal | I usually make breakfast at 7 a.m. |
Free Common Collocations in English PDF and Flashcards
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