AAAmerican Accent US

come out

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: come OUT. Saying “COME out” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /m/ of “come” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “come out” is said “co-mout”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

3 meanings

  1. 1

    To become known or be published.

    • “The truth came out three years later.”
    • “Her book comes out in September.”

    Similar: emerge, be released

  2. 2

    To publicly reveal that you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

    • “He came out to his family at nineteen.”
  3. 3

    (Of a stain or mark) to be removed.

    • “Do you think the ink will come out in the wash?”

The particle logic

out

Something exits a container, becomes visible, or is exhausted.

Listen + practice

Hear “come out” spoken naturally

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More COME phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

come across

To find or meet something by chance.

come up with

To produce or invent an idea or solution.

come up

(Of a topic or problem) to arise.

come back

To return to a place.

come down with

To start to have an illness, usually a minor one.

come over

To visit someone's home.

come in

To enter a place.

come along

To accompany someone.

come around

To change your mind and accept something.

come off

To become detached.

come apart

To fall into pieces.

come between

To damage the relationship between two people.

come out — meaning, examples & how to say it