AAAmerican Accent US

let out

Separable

The object can go before or after the particle — but a pronoun MUST go in the middle: “clean it up”, never “clean up it”.

How to say it

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

The /t/ flaps. Between vowels, American /t/ and /d/ both become a quick tap, so “let out” comes out as “le-dout” — closer to a fast D than a T. Drop a pronoun in the middle and it flaps twice: “let it out” → “le-di-dout”.

2 meanings

  1. 1

    To allow someone or something to leave.

    • “Let the dog out before you go.”
    • “School lets out at three.”

    Similar: release

  2. 2

    To make a garment larger.

    • “The tailor let the waist out an inch.”

The particle logic

out

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

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More LET phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

let down

To disappoint someone who was relying on you.

let in

To allow someone or something to enter.

let off

To excuse someone from punishment.

let go of

To release your grip, literally or emotionally.

let out — meaning, examples & how to say it