Race vs You may run __

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

Race

Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun

You may run __

Top 1,000 (very common)
 RaceYou may run __
Pronunciation🇬🇧 /["/reɪs/"]/🇺🇸 /["/reɪs/"]/🇬🇧 //rʌn//🇺🇸 //rʌn//
MeaningA competition to see who is the fastest.To move quickly on foot.
ExampleThe race was thrilling, with teams competing at full speed.You may run in the park every morning.
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 1,000 (very common)Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR levelA2-
Part of speechnoun
Collocationsbig, close, tight, have, hold, organize, be held, be run, take place, meet, meeting, winner, in a/​the race, out of a/​the race, race against, close, tight, two-horse, be in, be involved in, join, in a/​the race, race between, race for, human, alien, mixed, relations, equality, discrimination, among races, between races, from a race, on the basis of race, on (the) grounds of race, human, alien, mixed, relations, equality, discrimination, among races, between races, from a race, on the basis of race, on (the) grounds of racerun a marathon, run fast, run away, run for office, run a business
Antonymswalk, crawl-
Common mistakesConfusing 'race' with 'race against' (use 'race against time' when emphasizing urgency), Using the plural 'races' without context, as it may imply multiple types of competitions, Mixing 'race' with 'racing', which refers specifically to the action rather than the eventUsing 'ran' instead of 'run' in present context., Confusing 'run' with 'run out' which has a different meaning., Omitting the subject or tense when creating a complete sentence.
Usage notesUse 'race' when talking about competitions involving speed, such as running, driving, or sport. It is informal when talking about a fun, casual event but can be formal in official contexts like sports competitions.Use 'run' when talking about moving quickly or managing something. In formal contexts, specify the subject of the action clearly.

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Race
You may run __

Frequently asked questions: Race vs You may run __

What's the difference between Race and You may run __?

Race: A competition to see who is the fastest. You may run __: To move quickly on foot.

Can you show an example of each?

Race: The race was thrilling, with teams competing at full speed. You may run __: You may run in the park every morning.

Can I use Race and You may run __ interchangeably?

Not always. Race and You may run __ 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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