Cool MateBe quiet vs Keep your voice down
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Be quiet
Top 2,000 (common)
Keep your voice down
InformalTop 2,000 (common)
Most formal: Be quiet
| Be quiet | Keep your voice down | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //biː ˈkwaɪət//🇺🇸 //bi ˈkwaɪət// | 🇬🇧 //kiːp jɔː vɔɪs daʊn//🇺🇸 //kip jʊr vɔɪs daʊn// |
| Meaning | Stop making noise. | Speak quietly. |
| Example | The teacher told the students to **be quiet** during the test. | Can you please keep your voice down? There's a baby sleeping. |
| Register | Neutral | Informal |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| Collocations | be quiet in class, ask someone to be quiet, tell someone to be quiet | keep your voice down, voice down during, keep it down, keep voices low, keep it quiet |
| Antonyms | make noise, speak loudly | - |
| Common mistakes | Using 'be quiet' in a friendly context without softening the request., Incorrectly saying 'be quieted'., Confusing with 'be silent', which feels more formal. | Using 'keep' in the wrong tense., Confusing 'voice down' with 'volume up'., Not using it when noise is inappropriate. |
| Usage notes | Use 'be quiet' when asking someone to lower their voice. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts but can sound rude if used abruptly. | Used to ask someone to be quieter; common in casual conversations. Avoid in formal settings. |
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Frequently asked questions: Be quiet vs Keep your voice down
What's the difference between Be quiet and Keep your voice down?
Be quiet: Stop making noise. Keep your voice down: Speak quietly.
Which is more formal: Be quiet and Keep your voice down?
Be quiet is the most formal of these.
Can you show an example of each?
Be quiet: The teacher told the students to **be quiet** during the test. Keep your voice down: Can you please keep your voice down? There's a baby sleeping.
Can I use Be quiet and Keep your voice down interchangeably?
Not always. Be quiet and Keep your voice down 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.