Cool MateCome on vs Encourage
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Come on
InformalTop 1,000 (very common)
Encourage
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Most formal: Encourage
| Come on | Encourage | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kʌm ɒn//🇺🇸 //kʌm ɑn// | 🇬🇧 //ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ//🇺🇸 //ɪnˈkɜrɪdʒ// |
| Meaning | A phrase used to encourage someone or show disbelief. | To make someone want to do something or feel confident. |
| Example | Come on, we don't have all day! | Teachers always try to encourage their students to focus on their studies. |
| Register | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | come on over, come on in, come on guys | encourage someone to do something, encourage growth, encourage participation |
| Antonyms | go away, leave, stop, give up | discourage, dissuade |
| Common mistakes | Using in formal settings where a more polite phrase is required., Confusing with 'come along', which has a different meaning., Using it without context, making it unclear. | Using 'encourage' without an object (e.g. 'I encourage to study' instead of 'I encourage you to study')., Confusing with 'discourage' which means to make someone less confident., Using the wrong verb form after 'to' (e.g. 'encourage you study' instead of 'encourage you to study'). |
| Usage notes | Use 'come on' to motivate someone or express frustration. It's informal and may be inappropriate in formal situations. | Used when you want to support someone in taking action or improving their situation. It is appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Come on vs Encourage
What's the difference between Come on and Encourage?
Come on: A phrase used to encourage someone or show disbelief. Encourage: To make someone want to do something or feel confident.
Which is more formal: Come on and Encourage?
Encourage is the most formal of these.
Can you show an example of each?
Come on: Come on, we don't have all day! Encourage: Teachers always try to encourage their students to focus on their studies.
Can I use Come on and Encourage interchangeably?
Not always. Come on and Encourage 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.