Cool MateNotice vs See that scary guy over there
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Notice
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
See that scary guy over there
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Notice
| Notice | See that scary guy over there | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈnəʊtɪs/","/ˈnəʊtɪsɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪst/","/ˈnəʊtɪsɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈnəʊtɪs/","/ˈnəʊtɪsɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪst/","/ˈnəʊtɪsɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //siː ðæt ˈskeəri ɡaɪ ˈoʊvə ðeər//🇺🇸 //si ðæt ˈskɛri ɡaɪ ˈoʊvər ðɛr// |
| Meaning | to see or pay attention to something | To notice a frightening man in a specific location. |
| Example | I didn't notice the time passing while I was reading. | Did you see that scary guy over there? He looks dangerous. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | not even, not really, barely, fail to, not appear to, not seem to, can’t help but notice something, can’t help noticing something, the first thing I, he, etc. noticed, not even, not really, barely, fail to, not appear to, not seem to, can’t help but notice something, can’t help noticing something, the first thing I, he, etc. noticed | see that guy, scary guy, over there |
| Antonyms | ignore, overlook | - |
| Common mistakes | 'Notice' is sometimes confused with 'notify' — 'to notify' means to inform someone., Learners may use 'noticing' incorrectly as a noun; the correct noun is 'notice'., Some learners forget to use 'notice' in the simple past form 'noticed' when talking about past events. | Confused with 'see that nice guy over there' which has a different context, Sometimes used sarcastically when the person is not actually scary |
| Usage notes | Use 'notice' when you become aware of something. It's appropriate in both spoken and written English, but more formal contexts might use 'observe' instead. | Used in casual conversation to draw someone's attention to a potentially threatening person. Avoid in formal situations, unless describing a serious concern. |
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Frequently asked questions: Notice vs See that scary guy over there
What's the difference between Notice and See that scary guy over there?
Notice: to see or pay attention to something See that scary guy over there: To notice a frightening man in a specific location.
Which is more common: Notice and See that scary guy over there?
Notice is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Notice: I didn't notice the time passing while I was reading. See that scary guy over there: Did you see that scary guy over there? He looks dangerous.
Can I use Notice and See that scary guy over there interchangeably?
Not always. Notice and See that scary guy over there 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.