Common Mistakes with Phrasal Verbs and How to Avoid Them

Last Updated on: 05/01/2026

The knowledge of phrasal verbs is important in mastering the fluency of English, particularly for non-native English speakers. These are made up of a verb, further combined either with a preposition or adverb. With this combination, they form a new expression with a meaning often quite different from the original verb meaning. Such stumbling blocks often present themselves in the form of mistakes and confusion in using such combinations.

While you work on these complex verbs, you might also want to look at other ways to improve your English fluency because these skills often grow together. In the article below, we explore some of the most common mistakes that learners make with phrasal verbs and offer some strategies to overcome such challenges.

One of the most frequent mistakes with phrasal verbs is mixing up pairs that sound similar but have entirely different meanings. For example:

• “Look up” and “Look after”
  • Look up means to search for information: “I need to look up that word in the dictionary.”
  • Look after means to take care of someone or something: “Can you look after my cat while I’m away?”

• “Bring up” and “Bring about”
  • Bring up refers to raising a topic or a child: “She brought up the issue during the meeting.”
  • Bring about means to cause something to happen: “The new law brought about significant changes.”

How to avoid this mistake:

Learn similar phrasal verbs in pairs and create your own context-based sentences to reinforce their meanings. Visual cues, like mind maps, can also help differentiate these verbs. If you want to see how these verbs work in real stories, you can grow vocabulary with reading to see them used naturally.

Another pitfall learners face is using incorrect prepositions with phrasal verbs. Even slight changes can dramatically alter the intended meaning. For example:

• “Depend on” and “Depend of”
  • The correct form is “depend on,” meaning to rely or be contingent on something: “Your grade depends on your final exam.”

Many phrasal verbs require specific prepositions for them to make sense. Misplacing the preposition can lead to misunderstandings or nonsensical phrases. This is a common hurdle for students who are still learning how to use English articles and prepositions correctly.

How to avoid this mistake:

Sometimes, reading about mistakes is not enough; you need to hear how these verbs are used in natural speech. Listening to a professional speaker can help you pick up the correct prepositions and stress patterns without overthinking.

We highly recommend checking out our 500 really useful English phrases audiobook review. Hearing these phrases in context is a fantastic way to cut down on errors because your brain starts to recognize the sound of correct English phrasal verbs.

Translation from a learner’s native language usually results in either inappropriate or non-existent phrasal verbs in English. For instance, instead of saying “get off the bus,” one says “take the bus down,” which is a direct translation of some concept from another language.

How to avoid this mistake:

Keep in mind that phrasal verbs are idiomatic in general, and their meanings sometimes cannot be judged by the meaning of individual words. You should learn them as “chunks.” You can learn more about this in our guide to chunking in English.

Overuse of Phrasal Verbs in Formal Writing

While phrasal verbs add a conversational tone to informal writing, they are not always appropriate for formal or academic contexts. For example:

• “Put up with” in casual speech is perfectly fine: “I can’t put up with this noise anymore.”
• However, in formal writing, you should use “tolerate”: “The company does not tolerate inappropriate behavior.”

How to avoid this mistake:

Build a list of formal equivalents for common phrasal verbs. This is especially important for work. You can find more professional tips in our article about phrasal verbs for business emails.

Incorrect Object Placement (Separable Phrasal Verbs)

Some phrasal verbs allow for separation, meaning the object can be placed between the verb and the particle. Learners often make mistakes when pronouns are involved.

• Correct: Turn off the computer / Turn the computer off.
• With pronoun: Turn it off (not Turn off it).

When using pronouns, the verb and particle must be separated. If you stick to the rule that pronouns always go in the middle, you will avoid most mistakes in this category.

Assuming Meaning from the Base Verb

A significant problem arises when learners assume the meaning of a phrasal verb is the same as its base verb. For example, “Run into” has nothing to do with physically running. Instead, it means to meet someone unexpectedly.

How to avoid this mistake:

Learn phrasal verbs as units with fixed meanings. You can find some useful books to learn from in our article on 10 books on phrasal verbs or other books for learning English phrasal verbs.

Mispronouncing or Stressing Incorrectly

Phrasal verbs can sometimes be mispronounced, which changes the emphasis. For example, in “Take off,” the stress is often on the particle “off” when used as a verb. If the stress is misplaced, it can confuse the listener. Practice speaking and listen carefully to native speakers to learn the correct patterns. You might even find that a reading and comprehension quiz can help you see how these verbs function in written sentences before you speak them.

Forgetting the Context

Some phrasal verbs have multiple meanings depending on the context. If you look over a text too quickly, you might misinterpret the verb. For example, “Go through” can mean to experience a difficult time or to examine a document.

Learning phrasal verbs is a big part of speaking English naturally, but it is also where many students make mistakes. Do not feel bad if you get confused. You will get much better once you know these common problems and start practicing the right way. Just remember to learn them as whole phrases rather than single words. Keep your eyes open for how they are used in real life and try to use things like movies or books to help you. If you keep at it, you will feel much more confident.

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Phrasal Verbs Used in This Article

1. Bring about (to cause something to happen)
2. Bring up (to mention a topic or raise a child)
3. Depend on (to rely or be contingent on something)
4. Get off (to leave a bus, train, etc.)
5. Keep at (to continue practising or persisting)
6. Look after (to take care of someone or something)
7. Look over (to examine quickly)
8. Look up (to search for information)
9. Mix up (to confuse or mistake one thing for another)
10. Put up with (to tolerate)
11. Run into (to meet someone unexpectedly)
12. Turn off (to switch off)