Explain vs Illustrate

Quand utiliser chacun en anglais, avec le sens, le registre et des exemples.

Explain

Top 1000 (très courant)A1verb

Illustrate

Top 1000 (très courant)B2verb
 ExplainIllustrate
Prononciation🇬🇧 /["/ɪkˈspleɪn/","/ɪkˈspleɪnz/","/ɪkˈspleɪnd/","/ɪkˈspleɪnɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ɪkˈspleɪn/","/ɪkˈspleɪnz/","/ɪkˈspleɪnd/","/ɪkˈspleɪnɪŋ/"]/🇬🇧 //ˈɪl.ə.streɪt//🇺🇸 //ˈɪl.ə.streɪt//
SensTo make something clear or easy to understand.To make something clear by showing or explaining it.
ExempleCan you explain how this machine works?The teacher used a map to illustrate the geography lesson.
RegistreNeutreNeutre
FréquenceTop 1000 (très courant)Top 1000 (très courant)
Niveau CEFRA1B2
Nature grammaticaleverbverb
Collocationsin detail, fully, adequately, be able to, be unable to, can, about, to, explain everything, go a long way, some way, etc. towards/​toward explaining something, in detail, fully, adequately, be able to, be unable to, can, about, to, explain everything, go a long way, some way, etc. towards/​toward explaining somethingillustrate a point, illustrate with examples, illustrate a concept
Antonymesconfuse, obscure, complicateconfuse, obscure
Erreurs fréquentesUsing 'explain' without an object, e.g., 'I will explain' instead of 'I will explain the concept.', Confusing 'explain' with 'describe' – 'explain' is about making something clear, while 'describe' is about detailing., Misusing the tense, e.g., saying 'I explained' when referring to a future action.Confused with 'demonstrate' - not all illustrations are demonstrations., Using 'illustrate' without an object; it requires something to illustrate., Incorrectly using 'illustrate' for non-visual explanations.
Notes d'usageUse 'explain' when you want to clarify or make something easier to understand. It's appropriate in both speaking and writing, but avoid using it in highly formal contexts where more technical terms might be preferred.Use 'illustrate' when describing the act of explaining creatively, often with images. It's not commonly used in informal contexts.

Questions fréquentes : Explain vs Illustrate

Quelle est la différence entre Explain et Illustrate ?

Explain: To make something clear or easy to understand. Illustrate: To make something clear by showing or explaining it.

Lequel est le plus avancé : Explain et Illustrate ?

Illustrate est le niveau le plus élevé, à B2, sur l'échelle CEFR.

Explain et Illustrate sont-ils au même niveau CEFR ?

Explain: A1, Illustrate: B2 sur l'échelle CEFR.

Quelle est la nature grammaticale de Explain et Illustrate ?

Explain: verb, Illustrate: verb.

Peux-tu montrer un exemple de chacun ?

Explain: Can you explain how this machine works? Illustrate: The teacher used a map to illustrate the geography lesson.

Puis-je utiliser Explain et Illustrate de façon interchangeable ?

Pas toujours. Explain et Illustrate sont proches et se recoupent parfois, mais elles diffèrent par le registre, la fréquence et l'usage, donc remplacer l'une par l'autre peut changer le sens ou le ton. Regarde les différences ci-dessus avant de substituer.

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