Collocations for "read"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "read" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
read
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.v
- read a [book, magazine, paragraph]
- read [the first chapter, a few pages, the whole book]
- read for [school, pleasure]
- read about the [economy, world, earthquake]
- read the [newspaper, news, headlines]
- read [fiction, non fiction]
- read a (bedtime) [story, tale] to her [children, son, daughter]
- read reviews (before purchasing)
- read reviews about the [product, restaurant]
- read the [contract, privacy terms]
- read what [it, the book] says (about)
- read the [clues, signs]
- read [a palm, the future, the cards]
- read my [mind, thoughts] (about)
- (could) read his [face, reaction]
- read in [the bathroom, bed, your free time]
- read on the [train, plane, toilet]
- read [aloud, out loud]
- read in [silence, turns, your head]
- read through the (entire) [book, magazine, paper]
- [should, could, need to] read more
- read up on the [dates, subject]
- read (too much) into her [actions, words, past]
- UK: is reading [Law, Modern Languages] at [Cambridge, Oxford University, Emmanuel College]
- who [cannot, is unable to, doesn't know how to] read
- (never) learned to read
- a [boring, thrilling, fascinating, riveting] read
- the [article, book, post] was a [boring] read
- a [rather, thoroughly, quite] [boring] read
- (have) a [quick, short, fast, long, cursory, quiet] read
- finished the book in [two, three] reads
- the book is [well, barely, really] worth a read
- [take, have] a read of the (newspaper)
- a quick read before [bed, dinner, work]
- a quick read of the [news, emails, homework, rules, terms]
- a quiet read in the [garden, living room]
- US: what is your read on the [situation, plans]?
'read' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aback
- ability
- abstract
- accommodation
- aching
- actually
- additional
- advertisement
- aloud
- alternate
- amused
- amusing
- annoying
- appalling
- appetite
- armchair
- article
- average
- baking
- bench
- between
- blog
- body
- book
- booking
- booklet
- boring
- bother
- bottom
- brief
- can
- candle
- caption
- card
- chant
- cheat
- checklist
- chore
- chunk
- class
- clearance
- climbing
- column
- comfort
- comment
- compelling
- consumer
- contract
- corresponding
- course