Cool MateDistribute vs Pass these along
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Distribute
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
Pass these along
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Distribute
| Distribute | Pass these along | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈstrɪbjuːt//ˈdɪstrɪbjuːt/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːts//ˈdɪstrɪbjuːts/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪd//ˈdɪstrɪbjuːtɪd/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪŋ//ˈdɪstrɪbjuːtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈstrɪbjuːt/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːts/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪd/","/dɪˈstrɪbjuːtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //pɑːs ðiːz əˈlɒŋ//🇺🇸 //pæs ðiz əˈlɔŋ// |
| Meaning | To give things out to many people. | give these to someone else |
| Example | The teacher decided to distribute the books to the students. | Could you pass these along to your team? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | B2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | equally, fairly, unequally, among, between, to, internationally, nationally, exclusively, evenly, uniformly, unevenly, across, among, between | pass these along, pass information along, pass along messages |
| Antonyms | collect, withhold | keep, withhold |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'distribute' vs 'contribute'., Using 'distribute' without an object., Saying 'distribute to everyone' instead of 'distribute to them'. | Confused with 'pass along these', Omitting 'these' when referring to items, Using 'pass' without an object |
| Usage notes | Use 'distribute' when you're giving out items, like food or information. It's appropriate in both written and spoken contexts. Avoid it in very casual conversations where simpler words like 'give out' can be used. | Use in situations where you want to share information or items with others. Suitable in both casual and professional contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Distribute vs Pass these along
What's the difference between Distribute and Pass these along?
Distribute: To give things out to many people. Pass these along: give these to someone else
Which is more common: Distribute and Pass these along?
Distribute is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Distribute: The teacher decided to distribute the books to the students. Pass these along: Could you pass these along to your team?
Can I use Distribute and Pass these along interchangeably?
Not always. Distribute and Pass these along 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.