What's the Difference?: "Look," "See" and "Watch"
"Look" and "see" are two of the most basic verbs that all English students learn early in their study. However, many people have trouble understanding the proper ways to use them. This may be because their native language has only one word to express these ideas. And when you add "watch" to the group, it can make things even more complicated!
If you're confused by this vision-based vocabulary, this article will be a handy guide to help you understand what makes each word unique and how to use them properly.
Look
Since all of these verbs relate to vision and the eyes, what separates them is the focus of attention. In other words, who or what is being looked at, watched or seen.
Starting with look, it is most often used to refer to objects as well as things or scenes that do not move.
However, it can be used to refer to people and living things.
However, even in uses like the one above, the person speaking was probably not moving much.
Of the three verbs covered in this article, look is the most commonly used in the imperative form, or, when giving instructions or commands.
For all of these uses, the action is usually quick. This makes it different from watch, which we'll explain next.
In casual speech, look is often used to introduce a strong statement.
While this usage is very common, it is not related to vision. In fact, it is actually closer in meaning to "listen"!
Watch
"Watch" is used when directing attention to someone or something in motion. So instead of documents, buildings or a clock, for example, it is used for actions, performances and processes that take time to complete.
You can notice the difference between look and watch in the following pair of example sentences:
The first sentence uses "sunset," which is a noun for an event or time of day when the sun goes down. The second uses "sun set" — here, the sun is in the process (or action) of setting. Compared to the first sentence, the second example implies the passage of time in order to complete a process.
See
"See" is a bit different than the other two verbs. This is because its main nuances are ability and reported information.
See is also used in documents to refer to different sections.
—
To summarize, look is mostly used for subjects that are still and don't move, while watch focuses on subjects in motion. Looking can usually be done quickly, while watching often takes some time.
As for see, it is less about vision and more about ability — whether something/someone is or is not visible. Additionally, look and watch can be used imperatively, but see is almost never used this way.
Other vision-related verbs
Once you've understood how to use the three verbs above, you can move on to learning some other vocabulary related to the eyes.
Glance
"Glancing" is looking at someone or something quickly.
Stare
When you "stare," you are looking at someone or something with intense focus. It is generally considered rude to stare at other people.
Glare
"Glaring" is just like staring except that it is only used when the subject is a person. Also, while staring is often done with a blank or neutral expression, when you glare, you have a mean or unfriendly expression.
Gaze
"Gazing" is looking while thinking about something that is usually unrelated — or maybe thinking about nothing in particular.
Peek
"Peek" is quite similar to glance because it refers to looking quickly. It is often used when looking at something inside of an enclosed space.
Wrap-up
As you can see, English has quite a variety of ways to talk about how we use our eyes. Sometimes, these verbs don't relate to vision at all.
Remember the unique points of each individual word and you'll be able to use them skillfully at the proper times.