Cool MateI want him to rest vs Prefer
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
I want him to rest
Top 2,000 (common)
Prefer
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
Most common: Prefer
| I want him to rest | Prefer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //aɪ wɒnt hɪm tə rɛst//🇺🇸 //aɪ wɑnt hɪm tə rɛst// | 🇬🇧 /["/prɪˈfɜː(r)/","/prɪˈfɜːz/","/prɪˈfɜːd/","/prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/prɪˈfɜːr/","/prɪˈfɜːrz/","/prɪˈfɜːrd/","/prɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | I hope he takes a break. | To like one thing more than another |
| Example | I want him to rest before the big game. | I prefer apples to oranges. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | want him to sleep, want someone to relax, want her to take a break | greatly, much, overwhelmingly, would, tend to, appear to, over, to |
| Antonyms | - | dislike, detest, abhor |
| Common mistakes | Incorrectly using 'to' after 'want' (e.g., 'I want to him to rest'), Omitting 'to' before the verb (e.g., 'I want him rest'), Mixing up 'want' with 'wants' for different subjects (e.g., 'He want him to rest') | Confusing 'prefer' with 'like' — 'prefer' is stronger and implies a choice., Using 'prefer' without 'to' when comparing two things., Incorrectly placing the objects in the sentence structure. |
| Usage notes | Used in everyday conversation. Appropriate for both spoken and written contexts. Less common in very formal writing. | Use 'prefer' to express a choice between two options. It's suitable in both spoken and written contexts but is less common in very formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: I want him to rest vs Prefer
What's the difference between I want him to rest and Prefer?
I want him to rest: I hope he takes a break. Prefer: To like one thing more than another
Which is more common: I want him to rest and Prefer?
Prefer is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
I want him to rest: I want him to rest before the big game. Prefer: I prefer apples to oranges.
Can I use I want him to rest and Prefer interchangeably?
Not always. I want him to rest and Prefer 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.