Check vs We can read her e-mails

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Check

Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb

We can read her e-mails

Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Check
 CheckWe can read her e-mails
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/tʃek/","/tʃeks/","/tʃekt/","/ˈtʃekɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/tʃek/","/tʃeks/","/tʃekt/","/ˈtʃekɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //wiː kən riːd hɜːr ˈiːmeɪlz//🇺🇸 //wi kən rid hɜr ˈimeɪlz//
MeaningTo look at something to see if it's correct or okay.To look at and understand written messages sent electronically.
ExamplePlease check your answers before submitting the test.We can read her e-mails to find out more about the project.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 5,000 (fairly common)
CEFR levelA1-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsalways, daily, periodically, had better, must, need to, against, for, with, be worth checking, check to see if, check to see whether, always, daily, periodically, had better, must, need to, against, for, with, be worth checking, check to see if, check to see whether, simply, mentally, offread an e-mail, read the message, read through e-mails, read e-mails daily, read your inbox
Antonymsignore, disregard-
Common mistakesConfused with 'cheque' in British English., Using 'check' as a noun without proper context., Incorrectly conjugating 'check' in the past tense.Confused with 'read' as past tense, using 'readed' instead of 'read'., Misunderstanding 'e-mails' as a single entity instead of plural., Using 'her e-mail' when referring to multiple messages instead of 'her e-mails'.
Usage notesUsed in various contexts such as checking information, verifying facts, or inspecting items. Avoid using in very formal writing; instead, opt for 'verify' or 'inspect.'Often used in everyday conversation. Consider the privacy of the person when discussing their emails; it's not appropriate to read them without permission.

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Check
We can read her e-mails

Frequently asked questions: Check vs We can read her e-mails

What's the difference between Check and We can read her e-mails?

Check: To look at something to see if it's correct or okay. We can read her e-mails: To look at and understand written messages sent electronically.

Which is more common: Check and We can read her e-mails?

Check is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Check: Please check your answers before submitting the test. We can read her e-mails: We can read her e-mails to find out more about the project.

Can I use Check and We can read her e-mails interchangeably?

Not always. Check and We can read her e-mails 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.

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