AAAmerican Accent US

take to

Inseparable

The verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: take TO. Saying “TAKE to” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

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

What it means

To begin to like someone or something.
- “The kids took to her immediately.”
- “He never really took to city life.”
Similar: warm to

The particle logic

The thing the action points at, sticks to, or is measured against.

Listen + practice

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More TAKE phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

take off

(Of an aircraft) to leave the ground.

take up

To start a new hobby or activity.

take over

To assume control of something.

take in

To provide shelter for a person or animal.

take after

To resemble an older relative in looks or character.

take on

To accept a new responsibility or task.

take out

To remove something from inside a place or container.

take back

To retract something you said.

take down

To write information as you hear it.

take apart

To separate something into its parts.

take away

To remove something entirely.

take to — meaning, examples & how to say it