Cool MateKeep watch vs Supervise
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Keep watch
Top 3,000 (common)
Supervise
Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
Most common: Supervise
| Keep watch | Supervise | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //kiːp wɒtʃ//🇺🇸 //kiːp wɑtʃ// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈsuːpəvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsuːpərvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To stay alert or pay attention, especially for danger. | To watch over and manage people or activities. |
| Example | He was asked to keep watch over the campsite at night. | to supervise building work |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | C1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | keep watch over, keep a close watch, keep watch for, keep watch at night, keep vigilant watch | carefully, closely, directly, appoint somebody to, be responsible for supervising something |
| Antonyms | - | neglect, ignore |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'keep an eye on', which suggests a less formal level of vigilance., Using inappropriately in passive voice, as 'watch kept' sounds unnatural. | 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 | Used when monitoring a situation or being vigilant. Appropriate in both formal and informal contexts when discussing safety or alertness. | 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: Keep watch vs Supervise
What's the difference between Keep watch and Supervise?
Keep watch: To stay alert or pay attention, especially for danger. Supervise: To watch over and manage people or activities.
Which is more common: Keep watch and Supervise?
Supervise is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Keep watch: He was asked to keep watch over the campsite at night. Supervise: to supervise building work
Can I use Keep watch and Supervise interchangeably?
Not always. Keep watch 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.