Cool MateHit vs What's a kick
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Hit
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
What's a kick
Top 2,000 (common)
Most common: Hit
| Hit | What's a kick | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/hɪt/","/hɪts/","/ˈhɪtɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/hɪt/","/hɪts/","/ˈhɪtɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //wɒts ə kɪk//🇺🇸 //wɑts ə kɪk// |
| Meaning | To touch or strike something with force. | A strong hit with your foot or a moment of excitement. |
| Example | He decided to hit the ball with the bat. | Did you see what a kick that was when she scored the goal? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, hard, repeatedly, directly, want to, be going to, in, on, with, hit somebody over the head, badly, hard, heavily | what a kick, kick a ball, get a kick, kick off, kick back |
| Antonyms | miss, avoid, pass | - |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'hit' when referring to success; use 'achieved' instead., Using 'hitted' instead of 'hit' for past tense., 'Hit' can be confused with 'strike' but is more casual. | Confused with 'what's a kick?' vs 'what is kick?'., Using it in overly formal contexts., Not understanding the dual meaning of excitement vs. physical action. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in both physical contexts (like hitting a ball) and metaphorical ones (like hitting a deadline). Avoid using it in overly formal contexts. | Used in informal contexts to ask for information or clarification. Can also refer to the action of kicking. Avoid in formal writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Hit vs What's a kick
What's the difference between Hit and What's a kick?
Hit: To touch or strike something with force. What's a kick: A strong hit with your foot or a moment of excitement.
Which is more common: Hit and What's a kick?
Hit is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Hit: He decided to hit the ball with the bat. What's a kick: Did you see what a kick that was when she scored the goal?
Can I use Hit and What's a kick interchangeably?
Not always. Hit and What's a kick 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.