Cool MatePlease know vs Understand
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Please know
Top 2,000 (common)
Understand
Top 1,000 (very common)A1verb
Most common: Understand
| Please know | Understand | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //pliːz nəʊ//🇺🇸 //pliːz noʊ// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˌʌndəˈstænd/","/ˌʌndəˈstændz/","/ˌʌndəˈstʊd/","/ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˌʌndərˈstænd/","/ˌʌndərˈstændz/","/ˌʌndərˈstʊd/","/ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To ask someone to understand or be aware of something. | To know what something means or how it works. |
| Example | Please know that the meeting has been rescheduled to next week. | I need to understand the instructions clearly. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | please know that, please know how, please know your options | clearly, well, completely, be able to, can, be unable to, about, as, be commonly understood, be generally understood, be popularly understood, clearly, well, completely, be able to, can, be unable to, about, as, be commonly understood, be generally understood, be popularly understood, clearly, well, completely, be able to, can, be unable to, about, as, be commonly understood, be generally understood, be popularly understood, clearly, well, completely, be able to, can, be unable to, about, as, be commonly understood, be generally understood, be popularly understood, clearly, well, completely, be able to, can, be unable to, about, as, be commonly understood, be generally understood, be popularly understood |
| Antonyms | - | misunderstand, confuse, overlook |
| Common mistakes | Using 'please know' too casually in informal situations., Confusing with 'you should know' when the tone should be more polite., Overusing 'please know' can sound repetitive. | Confusing 'understand' with 'understands' in the third person., Mixing 'understand' with 'understanding' incorrectly., 'Understood' used incorrectly as a present tense. |
| Usage notes | Use 'please know' when giving important information. It's polite and formal enough for most settings, but it may sound slightly stiff in casual conversations. | Use 'understand' when you want to express comprehension of ideas or concepts. It's appropriate in both spoken and written contexts but may come across as slightly formal in casual conversations. |
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Frequently asked questions: Please know vs Understand
What's the difference between Please know and Understand?
Please know: To ask someone to understand or be aware of something. Understand: To know what something means or how it works.
Which is more common: Please know and Understand?
Understand is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Please know: Please know that the meeting has been rescheduled to next week. Understand: I need to understand the instructions clearly.
Can I use Please know and Understand interchangeably?
Not always. Please know and Understand 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.