Cool MateHit vs Kick
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hit
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Kick
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
| Hit | Kick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/hɪt/","/hɪts/","/ˈhɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɪt/","/hɪts/","/ˈhɪtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/kɪk/","/kɪks/","/kɪkt/","/ˈkɪkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kɪk/","/kɪks/","/kɪkt/","/ˈkɪkɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To touch or strike something with force. | To hit something with your foot. |
| Example | He decided to hit the ball with the bat. | The soccer player will kick the ball towards the goal. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | B1 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb |
| Collocations | hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, badly, hard, heavily | hard, savagely, viciously, against, at, in, kick a door down, kick a door open, kick a door shut, frantically, furiously, wildly, out at, with, drag somebody kicking and screaming, kick your legs, your legs kick |
| Antonyms | miss, avoid, pass | stop, catch |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'hit' when referring to success; use 'achieved' instead., Using 'hitted' instead of 'hit' for past tense., 'Hit' can be confused with 'strike' but is more casual. | Confused with 'kicked' vs 'kick' (tense errors), Using 'kick' without an object when needed (e.g., 'He kicked the ball'), Misusing the phrase 'kick off' (not understanding its different meanings) |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in both physical contexts (like hitting a ball) and metaphorical ones (like hitting a deadline). Avoid using it in overly formal contexts. | Commonly used in sports or play. In informal contexts, it can also mean to stop doing something (e.g., 'kick the habit'). Avoid in very formal writing. |
Frequently asked questions: Hit vs Kick
What's the difference between Hit and Kick?
Hit: To touch or strike something with force. Kick: To hit something with your foot.
Are Hit and Kick the same CEFR level?
Hit: A2, Kick: B1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Hit and Kick interchangeably?
Not always. Hit and Kick 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.