Cool MateUpdate vs You report to them
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Update
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
You report to them
Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Update
| Update | You report to them | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˌʌpˈdeɪt/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪts/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪtɪd/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˌʌpˈdeɪt/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪts/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪtɪd/","/ˌʌpˈdeɪtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //jʊ rɪˈpɔːt tʊ ðɛm//🇺🇸 //juː rɪˈpɔrt tʊ ðɛm// |
| Meaning | To make something new or better. | You tell them information or updates. |
| Example | Please update the software to the latest version. | You report to them every week about project progress. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | constantly, continually, continuously, try to, need to, on, to, with, constantly, continually, continuously, try to, need to, on, to, with | report to management, report to your boss, report to the committee, report to the supervisor |
| Antonyms | degrade, downgrade | - |
| Common mistakes | Confusing 'update' with 'upgrade', which means to improve or enhance something., Using 'updating' as a noun, instead of 'update'., Omitting the object when saying 'I will update' — it should be clear what is being updated. | Confuse with 'report on', which means to describe something specific., Use incorrect prepositions, such as 'to' instead of 'for'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'update' when talking about changing information to reflect new details. It's appropriate in both personal and professional contexts, but avoid using it in overly casual conversations. | Commonly used in work or organization settings. Less appropriate in casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Update vs You report to them
What's the difference between Update and You report to them?
Update: To make something new or better. You report to them: You tell them information or updates.
Which is more common: Update and You report to them?
Update is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Update: Please update the software to the latest version. You report to them: You report to them every week about project progress.
Can I use Update and You report to them interchangeably?
Not always. Update 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.