Race vs Run, mr. white!

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

Race

Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun

Run, mr. white!

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Race
 RaceRun, mr. white!
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/reɪs/"]/🇺🇸 /["/reɪs/"]/🇬🇧 //rʌn, mɪstər waɪt//🇺🇸 //rʌn, mɪstər waɪt//
MeaningA competition to see who is the fastest.A command telling Mr. White to move quickly.
ExampleThe race was thrilling, with teams competing at full speed.When the alarm went off, I shouted, 'run, Mr. White!'
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelA2-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationsbig, close, tight, have, hold, organize, be held, be run, take place, meet, meeting, winner, in a/​the race, out of a/​the race, race against, close, tight, two-horse, be in, be involved in, join, in a/​the race, race between, race for, human, alien, mixed, relations, equality, discrimination, among races, between races, from a race, on the basis of race, on (the) grounds of race, human, alien, mixed, relations, equality, discrimination, among races, between races, from a race, on the basis of race, on (the) grounds of racerun fast, run away, run for cover
Antonymswalk, crawlstay, remain
Common mistakesConfusing 'race' with 'race against' (use 'race against time' when emphasizing urgency), Using the plural 'races' without context, as it may imply multiple types of competitions, Mixing 'race' with 'racing', which refers specifically to the action rather than the eventConfusing with 'run away' which implies fleeing rather than just running., Using a wrong tone for urgency, making it sound casual.
Usage notesUse 'race' when talking about competitions involving speed, such as running, driving, or sport. It is informal when talking about a fun, casual event but can be formal in official contexts like sports competitions.Used to urgently instruct someone to escape or hurry. Not suitable for formal contexts.

See it in real clips

Race
Run, mr. white!

Frequently asked questions: Race vs Run, mr. white!

What's the difference between Race and Run, mr. white!?

Race: A competition to see who is the fastest. Run, mr. white!: A command telling Mr. White to move quickly.

Which is more common: Race and Run, mr. white!?

Race is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Race: The race was thrilling, with teams competing at full speed. Run, mr. white!: When the alarm went off, I shouted, 'run, Mr. White!'

Can I use Race and Run, mr. white! interchangeably?

Not always. Race and Run, mr. white! 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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