Notify vs You report to them

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

Notify

Top 2,000 (common)C1verb

You report to them

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Notify
 NotifyYou report to them
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪ/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪd/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪ/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪd/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //jʊ rɪˈpɔːt tʊ ðɛm//🇺🇸 //juː rɪˈpɔrt tʊ ðɛm//
Meaningto tell someone about somethingYou tell them information or updates.
ExampleCompetition winners will be notified by post.You report to them every week about project progress.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelC1-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsforthwith, immediately, promptly, be obliged to, be required to, must, of, toreport to management, report to your boss, report to the committee, report to the supervisor
Antonymsignore, neglect, overlook-
Common mistakesUsing 'notify' without an object (e.g., saying 'I will notify' instead of 'I will notify you')., Confusing 'notify' with 'inform' — while similar, 'notify' implies a more formal notification., Mixing up prepositions (e.g., saying 'notify with' instead of 'notify about')Confuse with 'report on', which means to describe something specific., Use incorrect prepositions, such as 'to' instead of 'for'.
Usage notesUse 'notify' in situations where you are formally informing someone, like in business or official contexts. Avoid in casual conversations.Commonly used in work or organization settings. Less appropriate in casual conversations.

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Notify
You report to them

Frequently asked questions: Notify vs You report to them

What's the difference between Notify and You report to them?

Notify: to tell someone about something You report to them: You tell them information or updates.

Which is more common: Notify and You report to them?

Notify is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Notify: Competition winners will be notified by post. You report to them: You report to them every week about project progress.

Can I use Notify and You report to them interchangeably?

Not always. Notify and You report to them 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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