What Are Collocations?
A collocation is a combination of words that naturally go together in English. Native speakers instinctively choose these combinations — they sound “right” even though the individual words could pair differently.
✓ make a decision ✗ do a decision
✓ heavy rain ✗ strong rain
✓ fast food ✗ quick food
Unlike idioms, collocations are literal — the meaning is clear from the individual words. The challenge is knowing which words go together. You can guess what “heavy rain” means, but you need to know that English doesn't say “strong rain”.
Collocations vs idioms vs phrasal verbs
Collocations (make a decision, heavy traffic) — literal meaning, but the word combination is fixed. The focus is on which words pair naturally.
Idioms (break the ice, spill the beans) — non-literal meaning. You can't guess the meaning from the words. These have their own dedicated page on this site.
Phrasal verbs (give up, look after) — verb + particle combinations where the particle changes the verb's meaning. Also covered separately.
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Key insight: Collocations are about naturalness. A non-native speaker might say “do a mistake” and be understood, but it sounds wrong to native ears. Learning collocations is what makes your English sound polished.
Types of Collocations
Collocations are grouped by the grammatical pattern of the words involved. Here are the five main types covered on this site:
VERB + NOUN
The most common type. A specific verb pairs with a noun.
make a mistake · take a photo · pay attention
ADJECTIVE + NOUN
A particular adjective naturally modifies a noun.
heavy traffic · strong coffee · bitter cold
ADVERB + ADJECTIVE
An adverb intensifies or modifies an adjective.
deeply concerned · highly unlikely · perfectly clear
ADVERB + VERB
An adverb modifies a verb in a fixed way.
strongly recommend · firmly believe · flatly refuse
NOUN + NOUN
Two nouns combine as a fixed pair or compound.
traffic jam · bus stop · income tax
Why Do They Matter?
Collocations are the difference between correct English and natural English. At B2 and above, the grammar is mostly there — but word choice still sounds off. That's collocations.
1. They make you sound natural
Native speakers don't think about collocations — they just feel right. When you use them correctly, your English sounds effortless rather than translated.
2. They appear in exams
Cambridge B2, C1, and C2 exams test collocations heavily, especially in Part 1 (multiple choice) and Part 4 (key word transformations). The wrong collocation costs marks even when the meaning is clear.
3. They're unpredictable
There's no rule that explains why we say make a decision but take a risk. Why heavy rain but strong wind? Why deeply concerned but highly unlikely? You have to learn them as fixed combinations.
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L1 interference: Your first language has its own collocations, and they rarely translate directly. Spanish speakers say do a question (hacer una pregunta) instead of ask a question. These errors are hard to spot because they feel natural in your language.
Strong vs Weak Collocations
Not all collocations are equally fixed. Some are strong (nearly impossible to change), while others are weak (more flexible).
Strong collocations
These are virtually fixed. The words almost always appear together, and substituting a synonym sounds wrong:
make a decision (not do a decision)
heavy rain (not big rain)
bitterly disappointed (not strongly disappointed)
Weak collocations
These are more flexible — several words can fit, though one or two are preferred:
a big / large / huge / great improvement
very / extremely / really happy
Focus your energy on strong collocations. These are the ones that sound noticeably wrong when you get them wrong, and they're the ones exams test.
Common Mistakes
Most collocation errors come from three sources:
1. Direct translation from L1
✗ do a mistake → ✓ make a mistake
✗ say a lie → ✓ tell a lie
✗ win money → ✓ earn / make money
2. Confusing similar verbs
✗ do a decision → ✓ make a decision
✗ make homework → ✓ do homework
✗ make an exam → ✓ take / sit an exam
3. Wrong intensifier
✗ very recommend → ✓ strongly / highly recommend
✗ strongly different → ✓ completely / totally different
Learning Strategies
Learn in chunks, not single words
When you learn a new noun, learn the verb or adjective that goes with it. Don't just write decision in your notebook — write make a decision, reach a decision, tough decision.
Notice them in the wild
When you read or listen to English, underline word combinations rather than individual words. Pay attention to which verbs go with which nouns, which adverbs go with which adjectives.
Group by verb
A useful approach is to learn all the nouns that go with one verb: make a decision / an effort / progress / a mess / friends / a living / a complaint. This builds a web of associations.
Use the exercises on this page
The flashcards and exercises here are designed to drill the most common collocations until they feel automatic.
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Test yourself: Cover the first word of each collocation and try to produce it from the second word alone. Can you say ___ a decision, ___ rain, ___ recommend without thinking?