Let's put vs Recommend

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

Let's put

Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Recommend

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 verb

Most common: Recommend

	Let's put	Recommend
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //lɛts pʊt// 🇺🇸 //lɛts pʊt//	🇬🇧 /["/ˌrekəˈmend/","/ˌrekəˈmendz/","/ˌrekəˈmendɪd/","/ˌrekəˈmendɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˌrekəˈmend/","/ˌrekəˈmendz/","/ˌrekəˈmendɪd/","/ˌrekəˈmendɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	To suggest or state something to be done.	To say that someone should do something.
Example	Let's put our differences aside for this meeting.	I recommend we try the new Italian restaurant in town.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 5,000 (fairly common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	-	A2
Part of speech		verb
Collocations	put together, put away, put forward, put into action, put on hold	highly, thoroughly, certainly, for, to, something has a lot to recommend it, something has much to recommend it, strongly, particularly, specifically, for, to, highly, thoroughly, certainly, for, to, something has a lot to recommend it, something has much to recommend it
Antonyms	-	discourage, dissuade
Common mistakes	Used without specifying the object or event correctly., Confused with 'Let's put off', which means to delay something., Incorrectly using 'put' in a passive structure.	Using 'recommend to' instead of just 'recommend', Confusing with 'advice' — 'recommend' is a stronger suggestion, Omitting the object after 'recommend'
Usage notes	Used to propose an action or plan; common in both spoken and written English. Works well in informal and formal contexts.	Use 'recommend' when suggesting something to someone. It is suitable in both spoken and written contexts. Avoid using it in very casual situations where a simpler word might work better.

See it in real clips

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

So let's put on our mean faces.

Top Gear › S1 E1

So, let's put The Stig in the Zonda

Let's put a couple of tables together. I'm not sure that they'll let us.

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

So let's put on our mean faces.

Top Gear › S1 E1

So, let's put The Stig in the Zonda

Let's put

If you wanna kill a public servant, Mr. Maroni, I recommend you buy American.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Do you know how likely patients are to recommend this hospital?

I'd recommend you for OCS, Private Gump.

If you wanna kill a public servant, Mr. Maroni, I recommend you buy American.

The Pitt › S1 E1

Do you know how likely patients are to recommend this hospital?

Recommend

Frequently asked questions: Let's put vs Recommend

What's the difference between Let's put and Recommend?

Let's put: To suggest or state something to be done. Recommend: To say that someone should do something.

Which is more common: Let's put and Recommend?

Recommend is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Let's put: Let's put our differences aside for this meeting. Recommend: I recommend we try the new Italian restaurant in town.

Can I use Let's put and Recommend interchangeably?

Not always. Let's put and Recommend 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.