Come on come in vs Receive

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

Come on come in

Top 2,000 (common)

Receive

Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Most common: Receive
 Come on come inReceive
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //kʌm ɒn kʌm ɪn//🇺🇸 //kʌm ɑn kʌm ɪn//🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈsiːv/","/rɪˈsiːvz/","/rɪˈsiːvd/","/rɪˈsiːvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈsiːv/","/rɪˈsiːvz/","/rɪˈsiːvd/","/rɪˈsiːvɪŋ/"]/
MeaningTo invite someone to enter a place.to get something from someone
ExampleWhen you arrive, just knock and I'll say, 'Come on in!'I was excited to receive the package in the mail yesterday.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level-A2
Part of speechverb
Collocationscome on over, come on in, come on downregularly, automatically, currently, be entitled to, expect to, from, send and receive, transmit and receive, enthusiastically, favourably/​favorably, warmly, with, regularly, automatically, currently, be entitled to, expect to, from, send and receive, transmit and receive, regularly, automatically, currently, be entitled to, expect to, from, send and receive, transmit and receive
Antonyms-give, send, offer
Common mistakesConfusing 'come on' with 'come in'—they serve different purposes., Using 'come on' with a formal invitation., Overusing 'come in' without context, making it sound robotic.Confusing 'receive' with 'recieve' — the correct spelling has 'ie', 'Receive' is not used with 'to' — say 'receive a gift' not 'receive to a gift', Using 'receiving' as a noun — remember it's a verb or part of a verb phrase
Usage notesUse 'come on' as an inviting phrase in casual situations. 'Come in' is polite and suitable for welcoming guests.Commonly used in both written and spoken English. Can be used in formal contexts, such as receiving awards, or informal situations like receiving a text message. Avoid using it in very casual conversations where simpler terms like 'get' might fit better.

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Come on come in

Frequently asked questions: Come on come in vs Receive

What's the difference between Come on come in and Receive?

Come on come in: To invite someone to enter a place. Receive: to get something from someone

Which is more common: Come on come in and Receive?

Receive is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Come on come in: When you arrive, just knock and I'll say, 'Come on in!' Receive: I was excited to receive the package in the mail yesterday.

Can I use Come on come in and Receive interchangeably?

Not always. Come on come in and Receive 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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