Notify vs To remind you of something

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

Notify

Top 2,000 (common)C1verb

To remind you of something

Top 1,000 (very common)
Most common: To remind you of something
 NotifyTo remind you of something
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪ/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪd/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪ/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪz/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪd/","/ˈnəʊtɪfaɪɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //tə rɪˈmaɪnd jʊ ʌv ˈsʌmθɪŋ//🇺🇸 //tə rɪˈmaɪnd jʊ ʌv ˈsʌmθɪŋ//
Meaningto tell someone about somethingTo help you remember something.
ExampleCompetition winners will be notified by post.I'll remind you of something important later.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 2,000 (common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR levelC1-
Part of speechverb
Collocationsforthwith, immediately, promptly, be obliged to, be required to, must, of, toremind someone of something, remind me of, remind you to, constantly remind, quickly remind
Antonymsignore, neglect, overlook-
Common mistakesUsing 'notify' without an object (e.g., saying 'I will notify' instead of 'I will notify you')., Confusing 'notify' with 'inform' — while similar, 'notify' implies a more formal notification., Mixing up prepositions (e.g., saying 'notify with' instead of 'notify about')'Remind to' is incorrect; use 'remind of'., Omitting 'you' can make the sentence unclear., Confusing with 'remember' – 'remind' requires an object.
Usage notesUse 'notify' in situations where you are formally informing someone, like in business or official contexts. Avoid in casual conversations.Used to help someone remember. Common in both spoken and written contexts. Less formal than 'to invoke' or 'to recall'.

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Notify
To remind you of something

Frequently asked questions: Notify vs To remind you of something

What's the difference between Notify and To remind you of something?

Notify: to tell someone about something To remind you of something: To help you remember something.

Which is more common: Notify and To remind you of something?

To remind you of something is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Notify: Competition winners will be notified by post. To remind you of something: I'll remind you of something important later.

Can I use Notify and To remind you of something interchangeably?

Not always. Notify and To remind you of something 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.

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