100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent

Collocations play a key role in helping English learners sound more natural and fluent.

Instead of learning single words, understanding which words commonly go together can greatly improve your speaking and writing skills.

In this blog post, 100+ English collocations with examples are carefully selected to help you communicate more confidently in everyday conversations, exams, and professional settings.

Whether you are a student, a working professional, or an ESL learner, mastering collocations will take your English fluency to the next level.

What Are Collocations?

Collocations are pairs or groups of words that often go together.

They are not random but are commonly found together in everyday speech and writing.

Using the right collocations can make your English sound more natural and less forced.

For example:

• Make a decision (not “do a decision”)
• Take a break (not “make a break”)
• Strong coffee (not “powerful coffee”)

When you learn collocations, you are not just learning individual words, but how words naturally fit together in English.

This will improve your speaking and writing skills, and help you sound more fluent.

Common Types of Collocations

Collocations can fall into several categories, including:

Verb + Noun

• • Make a decision
  • Take a break
  • Have a party
  • Give a presentation
  • Do homework
  • Take a chance
  • Catch a cold
  • Make a mistake
  • Have a conversation
  • Give advice

Adjective + Noun

• • Strong coffee
  • Fast food
  • Heavy rain
  • Good idea
  • Bright light
  • High temperature
  • Rich person
  • Bad luck
  • Deep breath
  • Serious problem

Noun + Noun

• • Car accident
  • Bus stop
  • Tennis match
  • Roommate agreement
  • Bedroom door
  • Job interview
  • Language barrier
  • Business meeting
  • Shopping mall
  • Science fiction

Verb + Adverb

• • Speak fluently
  • Work hard
  • Drive carefully
  • Study seriously
  • Walk quickly
  • Think carefully
  • Read loudly
  • Sleep soundly
  • Run fast
  • Wait patiently

Adverb + Adjective

• • Really good
  • Very tired
  • Extremely happy
  • Quite important
  • Very easy
  • Rather difficult
  • Incredibly funny
  • Totally different
  • Seriously wrong
  • Slightly confused

Verb + Preposition

• • Look at
  • Listen to
  • Talk about
  • Think about
  • Dream of
  • Work on
  • Depend on
  • Agree with
  • Focus on
  • Wait for

Noun + Preposition

• • Interest in
  • Solution to
  • Reason for
  • Advantage of
  • Knowledge of
  • Experience in
  • Opinion about
  • View of
  • Need for
  • Relationship with

100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent

Let’s dive deeper into some common and useful collocations.

These will help you in different situations, whether you are speaking casually, in business meetings, or during interviews.

Collocations for Daily Life

1. Have a bath/shower
2. Get dressed
3. Make breakfast/lunch/dinner
4. Take a nap
5. Catch a bus/train
6. Go shopping
7. Do the laundry
8. Clean the house
9. Pick up the phone
10. Make the bed

Collocations for Work and Study

1. Make a presentation
2. Do research
3. Take notes
4. Write an essay/report
5. Give a talk/speech
6. Have a meeting
7. Work overtime
8. Attend a conference
9. Complete a task
10. Study hard

Collocations for Relationships

1. Make friends
2. Have a fight/argument
3. Get married
4. Break up with
5. Get to know
6. Fall in love
7. Keep in touch
8. Spend time with
9. Go on a date
10. Meet someone new

Collocations for Travel

1. Take a trip
2. Go on holiday/vacation
3. Book a flight
4. Catch a plane/train
5. Visit a place
6. Go sightseeing
7. Travel abroad
8. Check in/check out
9. Get a passport
10. Rent a car

Collocations for Health and Fitness

1. Do exercise
2. Go to the gym
3. Take medicine
4. Eat healthy
5. Get better
6. Feel sick
7. Have a headache
8. Get a cold
9. Stay in shape
10. Lose weight

Collocations for Emotions and Feelings

1. Feel happy/sad
2. Be in a good/bad mood
3. Make someone feel special
4. Have a feeling
5. Feel nervous
6. Get upset
7. Express feelings
8. Show emotion
9. Be excited about
10. Be scared of

Collocations for Business and Meetings

1. Make a deal
2. Sign a contract
3. Give feedback
4. Hold a meeting
5. Negotiate a contract
6. Meet a deadline
7. Run a business
8. Offer a discount
9. Close a deal
10. Give a presentation

Collocations for Shopping and Money

1. Buy something
2. Spend money
3. Save money
4. Pay for
5. Get a discount
6. Go shopping
7. Shop online
8. Check the price
9. Pay in cash
10. Earn money

Collocations for Nature and the Environment

1. Take a walk
2. Go hiking
3. Enjoy the sunshine
4. Pick flowers
5. Climb a mountain
6. Look at the stars
7. Go camping
8. Plant a tree
9. Watch the sunset
10. Save energy

Collocations for Time and Dates

1. Have a break
2. Take time off
3. Make an appointment
4. Spend time with
5. Lose track of time
6. Wait for a moment
7. Arrive on time
8. Be on time
9. Take forever
10. Miss the deadline

Collocations for Food and Drink

1. Make dinner
2. Cook a meal
3. Have breakfast/lunch/dinner
4. Eat out
5. Drink water/tea/coffee
6. Order food
7. Have a snack
8. Try a new dish
9. Eat healthy
10. Serve food

Collocations for Weather

1. Have a storm
2. Heavy rain
3. Bright sunshine
4. Cloudy sky
5. Strong winds
6. Cold weather
7. Snow falls
8. Clear sky
9. Warm weather
10. Foggy morning

Collocations for Learning English

1. Learn a language
2. Take an English course
3. Practice speaking
4. Improve your vocabulary
5. Study grammar
6. Make progress
7. Master English
8. Watch movies in English
9. Read English books
10. Write essays in English

How to Use Collocations

To use collocations effectively:

• Practice regularly: Try to use them in your daily conversations or writing.
• Listen to native speakers: Watch movies, listen to podcasts, and pay attention to the way native speakers use these collocations.
• Read a lot: Reading books, articles, or blogs in English will expose you to common collocations.
• Use online resources: There are plenty of websites, books, and apps dedicated to collocations.
• Be patient: It takes time to become familiar with collocations, so don’t get discouraged.

Conclusion

Learning collocations is a great way to get better at speaking English.

They make your conversations sound more natural, just like a native speaker.

If you focus on common collocations and use them in your daily life, you’ll boost your language skills and feel more confident when you talk.

So, begin using these 100+ collocations now and see how much your English can get better!

Read more:

• 100+ English Collocations to Sound More Fluent
• Everyday English Expressions for Daily Use
• The Complete Guide to English Collocations
• Mastering Collocations for Job Interviews and Resumes