I want him to rest vs Request

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

I want him to rest

Top 2,000 (common)

Request

Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun
Most common: Request
 I want him to restRequest
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //aɪ wɒnt hɪm tə rɛst//🇺🇸 //aɪ wɑnt hɪm tə rɛst//🇬🇧 /["/rɪˈkwest/"]/🇺🇸 /["/rɪˈkwest/"]/
MeaningI hope he takes a break.to ask for something
ExampleI want him to rest before the big game.I would like to make a request for a day off next week.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level-A2
Part of speechnoun
Collocationswant him to sleep, want someone to relax, want her to take a breakspecial, legitimate, reasonable, make, put in, send, at somebody’s request, by request, on request, available on request, available upon request, by popular request, special, legitimate, reasonable, make, put in, send, at somebody’s request, by request, on request, available on request, available upon request, by popular request
Antonyms-refuse, decline
Common mistakesIncorrectly 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')Using 'request' with a different preposition, such as 'request for'., Confusing 'request' with 'require'., Not using it in the correct form, like 'requested' instead of 'requesting'.
Usage notesUsed in everyday conversation. Appropriate for both spoken and written contexts. Less common in very formal writing.Used in polite or formal contexts. It may sound too formal for casual conversations, where simpler words like 'ask' are preferred.

See it in real clips

I want him to rest
Request

Frequently asked questions: I want him to rest vs Request

What's the difference between I want him to rest and Request?

I want him to rest: I hope he takes a break. Request: to ask for something

Which is more common: I want him to rest and Request?

Request 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. Request: I would like to make a request for a day off next week.

Can I use I want him to rest and Request interchangeably?

Not always. I want him to rest and Request 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.

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