Cool MateHe's a robot vs Machine
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's a robot
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Machine
Top 1,000 (very common)A1noun
Most common: Machine
| He's a robot | Machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //hiːz ə ˈrəʊbɒt//🇺🇸 //hiz ə ˈroʊbɑt// | 🇬🇧 /["/məˈʃiːn/"]/🇺🇸 /["/məˈʃiːn/"]/ |
| Meaning | A machine that can move and do tasks like a person. | A machine is a device that uses energy to do work or perform a task. |
| Example | In the movie, he's a robot who helps humans solve problems. | The machine was broken, so we couldn't finish our work. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | beep like a robot, robot voice, robot technology | giant, great, huge, operate, run, use, go, work, break down, operator, parts, tool, by machine, in a/the machine, on a/the machine, a make of machine, party, political, marketing, politician, politics, a cog in the machine, a well-oiled machine |
| Antonyms | - | human, organism |
| Common mistakes | Misunderstanding 'robot' as only an artificial intelligence, not just machines., Confusing 'robot' with 'android' which refers specifically to human-like robots., Using 'he's' instead of 'it's' when the robot's gender is not specified. | Confusing 'machine' with 'mechanism'—a mechanism is a part of a machine., Using 'machine' to refer to non-mechanical items like software., Overgeneralizing 'machine' to include tools that don't use power. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in casual conversation, science fiction, or discussions about technology. Avoid in formal contexts unless discussing robotics. | Use 'machine' for mechanical devices like cars or computers. Avoid using it for living beings or to describe simple tools. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's a robot vs Machine
What's the difference between He's a robot and Machine?
He's a robot: A machine that can move and do tasks like a person. Machine: A machine is a device that uses energy to do work or perform a task.
Which is more common: He's a robot and Machine?
Machine is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's a robot: In the movie, he's a robot who helps humans solve problems. Machine: The machine was broken, so we couldn't finish our work.
Can I use He's a robot and Machine interchangeably?
Not always. He's a robot and Machine 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.