ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbo / sustantivoverbo / sustantivo
CheckvsControl
"Check" is to verify or examine; "control" is to have power over something, not merely inspect it.
Side-by-side comparison
Check
verbo / sustantivo"Check" means to review or verify something. Do not use it to say you manage or command something; that is "control". A very common false friend for Spanish speakers.
Let me check the weather before we head out.
Can you check if the door is locked? I think I forgot.
The doctor checked his blood pressure twice.
Control
verbo / sustantivo"Control" means to have authority or command over something. Do not use it to say you verify something; that is "check". The Spanish "controlar" is not always "control" in English.
The government controls the price of basic goods in this country.
She could not control her emotions when she heard the news.
The pilot lost control of the aircraft due to the storm.
Common mistake
The most direct false cognate for Spanish speakers: "controlar" in Spanish can mean to check, but in English "control" only means to have authority or power. "I will control the document" in English means you will take authority over it, not review it. For reviewing use "check".
Trick to remember it
- •Can you replace it with "inspect" or "verify"? Use "check".
- •Can you replace it with "have authority over" or "direct"? Use "control".
Quick rule
- •"Check" = verify or inspect.
- •"Control" = have authority or power over something.
Did you know?
"Check" in chess comes from Persian "shah" (king). When the king is threatened, you announce "check". "Checkmate" = "shah mat" in Persian = "the king is immobilized". From there "check" took on the meaning of "verifying something is under control or accounted for". The bank "check" (or "cheque" in British English) also traces to this root, it is a document that "verifies" the money is available.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Could you _____ that the oven is off? I think I forgot.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The government struggled to _____ the spread of the disease.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
LookvsSeem
Both can mean 'parecer', but one is based on visual appearance and the other on general impression.
RealizevsNotice
Both can mean 'darse cuenta', but one implies mental understanding and the other sensory perception.
RemembervsRecall
"Remember" is to have something in memory; "recall" is the active effort of bringing something back to mind.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy