Cool MateLook after my family vs Supervise
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Look after my family
Top 2,000 (common)
Supervise
Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
| Look after my family | Supervise | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //lʊk ˈɑːftə maɪ ˈfæmili//🇺🇸 //lʊk ˈæftɚ maɪ ˈfæmli// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈsuːpəvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsuːpərvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | Take care of my family. | To watch over and manage people or activities. |
| Example | I need someone to look after my family while I travel. | to supervise building work |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | C1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | look after children, look after pets, look after the elderly, look after sick relatives, look after someone | carefully, closely, directly, appoint somebody to, be responsible for supervising something |
| Antonyms | - | neglect, ignore |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'look for' (searching) instead of 'look after' (caring)., Using 'look after' with non-living things, which is not correct., Forgetting to use 'my' when referring to personal care. | Confused with 'supervisor' - remember 'supervise' is the action, while 'supervisor' is the person., Using 'supervise' in informal contexts where 'help' or 'watch' would be better., Omitting the object - 'supervise' should always have something that is being supervised. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used when referring to caring for someone else. Suitable for both informal and semi-formal situations, but can feel personal. | Used in professional or educational contexts. Avoid using it in casual conversations where simpler terms like 'watch' may be more appropriate. |
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Frequently asked questions: Look after my family vs Supervise
What's the difference between Look after my family and Supervise?
Look after my family: Take care of my family. Supervise: To watch over and manage people or activities.
Can you show an example of each?
Look after my family: I need someone to look after my family while I travel. Supervise: to supervise building work
Can I use Look after my family and Supervise interchangeably?
Not always. Look after my family and Supervise 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.