Cool MateCome down vs Decrease vs Descend vs Fall vs Sink
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Come down
Top 2,000 (common)
Decrease
Top 2,000 (common)B2verb
Descend
Top 3,000 (common)C1verb
Fall
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
Sink
Top 1,000 (very common)B1verb
| Come down | Decrease | Descend | Fall | Sink | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kʌm daʊn//🇺🇸 //kʌm daʊn// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈkriːs//🇺🇸 //dɪˈkriːs// | 🇬🇧 //dɪˈsɛnd//🇺🇸 //dɪˈsɛnd// | 🇬🇧 /["/fɔːl/","/fɔːlz/","/fel/","/ˈfɔːlən/","/ˈfɔːlɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/fɔːl/","/fɔːlz/","/fel/","/ˈfɔːlən/","/ˈfɔːlɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/sɪŋk/","/sɪŋks/","/sæŋk/","/sʌŋk/","/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/sɪŋk/","/sɪŋks/","/sæŋk/","/sʌŋk/","/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To lower in position or to decrease. | To make something smaller or lower. | To go downwards. | To drop down from a higher place to a lower one. | A place where you wash dishes and hands. |
| Example | Please come down from the roof carefully. | The government plans to decrease taxes next year. | As the sun began to set, the temperature started to descend. | I always fall asleep quickly at night. | The ship began to sink after hitting the iceberg. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 | C1 | A1 | B1 |
| Part of speech | verb | verb | verb | verb | |
| Collocations | come down to earth, come down hard, come down in price, come down for dinner, come down with an illness | decrease in size, decrease in temperature, significantly decrease, gradually decrease, decrease the risk | descend rapidly, descend into chaos, descend from, descend the stairs, descend gradually | heavily, steadily, freely, be about to, let somebody/something, from, into, on, almost, nearly, headlong, be about to, stumble and fall, trip and fall, dramatically, rapidly, sharply, be expected to, be likely to, continue to, below, by, from, almost, nearly, headlong, be about to, stumble and fall, trip and fall, squarely, into, outside, under | slowly, fast, down, begin to, start to, below, beneath, into, sink like a stone, sink or swim, sink to the bottom (of something), wearily, gratefully, gracefully, into, onto, sink below the horizon, sink to the floor, sink to the ground, wearily, gratefully, gracefully, into, onto, sink below the horizon, sink to the floor, sink to the ground, quickly, rapidly, gradually, into, sink to a new low, sink to new lows |
| Antonyms | - | increase, rise, augment | ascend, rise, climb | rise, ascend, get up | float, rise |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'come up' which means to increase or approach., Using 'come down' with a direct object, which is incorrect., Mixing up the preposition when trying to indicate direction. | Confusing 'decrease' with 'increase'., Using 'decrease' without an object, e.g. 'decrease' must have something to decrease., Incorrectly conjugating the verb in different tenses. | Confused with 'ascend' which means to go up., Using it incorrectly in passive form, i.e., not using it when descent is not intentional., Omitting the object when necessary, leading to unclear sentences. | Using 'falled' instead of 'fell' for past tense., Confusing 'fall' with 'felt' when using in phrases., Using 'fall' incorrectly with inanimate objects, as in 'the tree falls' instead of 'the tree fell.' | Confused with 'sank' - the past tense of sink., Using 'sink' as a noun when describing the action of sinking., Mispronouncing it as 'sinc'. |
| Usage notes | Use 'come down' when talking about moving to a lower place or when discussing decreasing prices or moods. It's suitable for casual conversation and informal contexts. | Use 'decrease' in formal and neutral contexts to describe reductions, such as in appetite or temperature. | Use in contexts like movement or hierarchy. More formal contexts may require specific descriptions of descent. | Use 'fall' when discussing something dropping or losing balance. Avoid using in very formal contexts where 'descend' might be more appropriate. | Used in everyday contexts for kitchens and bathrooms. Not used in formal writing. Avoid confusion with 'sank' which is its past tense. |
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Frequently asked questions: Come down vs Decrease vs Descend vs Fall vs Sink
What's the difference between Come down, Decrease, Descend, Fall, and Sink?
Come down: To lower in position or to decrease. Decrease: To make something smaller or lower. Descend: To go downwards. Fall: To drop down from a higher place to a lower one. Sink: A place where you wash dishes and hands.
Which is more advanced: Come down, Decrease, Descend, Fall, and Sink?
Descend is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Come down: Please come down from the roof carefully. Decrease: The government plans to decrease taxes next year. Descend: As the sun began to set, the temperature started to descend. Fall: I always fall asleep quickly at night. Sink: The ship began to sink after hitting the iceberg.
Can I use Come down, Decrease, Descend, Fall, and Sink interchangeably?
Not always. Come down, Decrease, Descend, Fall, and Sink 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.