What is the Difference Between Try and Try Out?

Vocabulary / By

If we get it down to its essence, the difference between the verbs ‘try’ and ‘try out’ is that the latter is an irregular, phrasal verb and the former is an ordinary verb. To ‘try’ anything means to make an attempt to do something, and to ‘try out’ something means to put it to the test and see how it works.

Continue reading to learn about the etymology of the word ‘try,’ what phrasal verbs are and how they differ from regular verbs, and how to correctly employ the words ‘try’ and ‘try out’ in a sentence, among other things.

Etymology of Try

The term ‘try’ was first recorded in the Anglo-French languages in the early 1300s, and it has been in use ever since. Making an attempt to do something is the meaning of the word, which is a common verb. The word can be and is frequently used in each English language, no matter the regional dialect.

Phrasal Verb vs. Common Verb

A phrasal verb is a verb that is used in phrases such as pick up, turn on, or get on with. These verbs are composed of a basic verb and one or more additional words. The two or three words that make up a phrasal verb combine to form a brief “phrase,” which is why they are referred to as “phrasal verbs.”

A phrasal verb, on the other hand, is still a verb. ‘Look’ is a verb that means to look at something. ‘Look up’ is also a verb, however, it is a somewhat different one.

There is a significant difference in meaning between the two, as well as differences in grammatical behavior between them. Each phrasal verb should be treated as a single verb, and it should be learned in the same way as any other verb.

Examples of Try and Try Out in a Sentence

It may be beneficial to read a few instances of how and when to use the words ‘try’ and ‘try out’ in a sentence to gain a better understanding of the differences in their usage. Here are a few examples of how to use each within a grammatically correct sentence.

  • You should try harder on your homework so you will understand the content.
  • The baseball team tryout is tomorrow afternoon.
  • I am going to try to be there before it gets dark.
  • You should try out these new sunglasses because they are fantastic!

Try vs Try Out difference

the difference between “Try” and “try out” is very subtle. “Try” bu itself means to attempt something but “try out” means to attempt something to see if it is a good fit for you

Let’s look at some more examples:

I want to try to play the guitar

Why don’t try out guitar lessons for a few weeks and see if you like them?

The idea with “try out” is that you attempt something for a short period and see if the results are acceptable for you.

Try out or try-out

“Try-out” is the noun form of “try out”. the noun form uses a hyphen and is usually used in American English when a person attempts to join a team that has a limited amount of players.

The basketball tryouts are on Saturday.

Try on

We use “try on” specifically in the context of clothes in the same context as “try out” (to see if something fits or looks well on you).

I always try on jeans before buying them. 

 

 

Conor
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