AAAmerican Accent US

set down

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: set DOWN. Saying “SET down” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Do not release the /t/. Before the consonant of “down” the stop is held and swallowed rather than popped — the same unreleased-stop move as in hot dog. One smooth unit: “set down”.

What it means

  1. To place something on a surface, or to record it in writing.

    • “He set the tray down carefully.”
    • “The rules are set down in the appendix.”

    Similar: put down, record

The particle logic

down

Something decreases, collapses, settles, or gets recorded.

Listen + practice

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More SET phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

set up

To assemble or install something so it is ready to use.

set off

To begin a journey.

set out

To begin something with a clear intention.

set back

To delay progress.

set aside

To reserve something for a particular purpose.

set down — meaning, examples & how to say it