Cool MateKick vs Strike
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Kick
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
Strike
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
| Kick | Strike | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/kɪk/","/kɪks/","/kɪkt/","/ˈkɪkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/kɪk/","/kɪks/","/kɪkt/","/ˈkɪkɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/straɪk/","/straɪks/","/strʌk/","/ˈstraɪkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/straɪk/","/straɪks/","/strʌk/","/ˈstraɪkɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To hit something with your foot. | to hit something or to stop working as a protest |
| Example | The soccer player will kick the ball towards the goal. | The workers decided to strike for better wages and working conditions. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | B2 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb |
| Collocations | 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 | firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something, immediately, suddenly, just, as, immediately, suddenly, just, as, threaten to, vote to, be set to, against, for, in protest at, the right to strike, firmly, hard, deep, be about to, be going to, be ready to, against, at, on, be struck by lightning, get struck by lightning, be struck down by something |
| Antonyms | stop, catch | surrender, accept |
| Common mistakes | 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) | Confused with 'struck' as past tense, Using 'strike' for non-physical hits like arguments, Saying 'the worker strike' instead of 'the workers' strike' |
| Usage notes | 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. | Use 'strike' when talking about hitting something or when workers stop working to demand change. It's neutral in tone, fitting for both formal and casual situations. Avoid in overly technical discussions about labor laws. |
Frequently asked questions: Kick vs Strike
What's the difference between Kick and Strike?
Kick: To hit something with your foot. Strike: to hit something or to stop working as a protest
Are Kick and Strike the same CEFR level?
Kick: B1, Strike: B2 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Kick and Strike interchangeably?
Not always. Kick and Strike 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.