Leave vs Sign-outs

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

Leave

Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb

Sign-outs

Beyond 10,000 (less common)
Most common: Leave
 LeaveSign-outs
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/liːv/","/liːvz/","/left/","/ˈliːvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/liːv/","/liːvz/","/left/","/ˈliːvɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //ˈsaɪn.aʊts//🇺🇸 //ˈsaɪn.aʊts//
Meaningto go away from a placeWhen people leave or log off from a system or place.
ExampleI will leave the house at 8 AM.After finishing my work, I made sure to complete my sign-outs.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Beyond 10,000 (less common)
CEFR levelA1-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsdecide to, intend to, plan to, for, decide to, intend to, plan to, for, decide to, intend to, plan to, forcomplete sign-outs, daily sign-outs, record sign-outs, sign-outs sheet, authorize sign-outs
Antonymsarrive, staysign-ins, log ins
Common mistakesConfused with 'leave' as in 'not taking something' vs 'leave' meaning to depart., Using 'leave' without an object when the sentence requires one, e.g., 'leave the party.', Mixing up 'leave' with 'let' in phrases.Confused with 'sign-in' which means to log in instead of log out., Using 'sign-out' as a noun incorrectly when it should be plural., Forgetting to use 'of' after 'sign out' when mentioning the system.
Usage notesUse 'leave' when departing from a location or letting go of something. Avoid in very formal writing where terms like 'depart' might be preferred.Used in both formal and informal contexts to indicate when someone is leaving a location or logging off an account. Generally appropriate in workplace and educational settings.

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Leave
Sign-outs

Frequently asked questions: Leave vs Sign-outs

What's the difference between Leave and Sign-outs?

Leave: to go away from a place Sign-outs: When people leave or log off from a system or place.

Which is more common: Leave and Sign-outs?

Leave is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Leave: I will leave the house at 8 AM. Sign-outs: After finishing my work, I made sure to complete my sign-outs.

Can I use Leave and Sign-outs interchangeably?

Not always. Leave and Sign-outs 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.