Cool MateAchieve vs To have come so far
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Achieve
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
To have come so far
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Achieve
| Achieve | To have come so far | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/əˈtʃiːv/","/əˈtʃiːvz/","/əˈtʃiːvd/","/əˈtʃiːvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/əˈtʃiːv/","/əˈtʃiːvz/","/əˈtʃiːvd/","/əˈtʃiːvɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //tə hæv kʌm səʊ fɑː//🇺🇸 //tə hæv kʌm soʊ fɑr// |
| Meaning | To successfully reach a goal or complete something. | To achieve a lot or make great progress. |
| Example | She worked hard to achieve her goals. | I can't believe how much we have come so far in our project this year. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | fail to, be able to, try to, fail to, be able to, try to | have come so far together, to have come so far in life, how we have come so far, we have come so far from, to have come so far in progress |
| Antonyms | fail, miss, lose | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'complete' or 'accomplish', Using 'achieve' with non-count nouns incorrectly, Mistakenly using 'achieve' in informal settings | Confused with 'to come so far', Inappropriate use in very formal settings, Used without reflecting context or achievement |
| Usage notes | Use 'achieve' when talking about completing a goal or success in a task. It's appropriate in both personal and professional contexts, but avoid it in very casual conversations. | Often used to express pride or surprise about progress. Common in conversations reflecting on achievements. Avoid in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Achieve vs To have come so far
What's the difference between Achieve and To have come so far?
Achieve: To successfully reach a goal or complete something. To have come so far: To achieve a lot or make great progress.
Which is more common: Achieve and To have come so far?
Achieve is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Achieve: She worked hard to achieve her goals. To have come so far: I can't believe how much we have come so far in our project this year.
Can I use Achieve and To have come so far interchangeably?
Not always. Achieve and To have come so far are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.