Collocation: meaning, definitions and examples

Can also refer to the arrangement or sequence of words in a text or sentence.

• The collocation of 'quickly' and 'ran' makes the sentence sound more natural

Typically refers to any general combination of words without emphasizing their naturalness or frequency of use. Often used in more casual or non-technical contexts.

• The word combination 'blue sky' is used to describe clear weather

Used to refer to a small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit, often forming a component of a clause. Common in both spoken and written language.

• 'Break a leg' is a famous phrase used to wish someone good luck

Frequently used to describe words that are statistically likely to appear together in a text or speech. It can also be synonymous with the first 'collocation' entry.

• For instance, 'heavy rain,' 'deep sleep,' and 'fast food' are common collocations

Primarily used in educational materials to help language learners understand which words commonly go together. This term emphasizes the relationship between words that frequently appear together in phrases.

• 'Word partnership': Students might learn that 'take a break,' 'do homework,' and 'give advice' are typical word partnerships

This term is mainly used in computational linguistics and language studies to describe sequences of words that commonly appear together in texts. These bundles are often identified through text analysis.

• Common lexical bundles might include phrases like 'in the case of,' 'one of the most,' and 'by means of
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