watch over
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: watch OVER. Saying “WATCH over” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Link across the gap. The final /tʃ/ of “watch” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “watch over” is said “wa-tchover”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
What it means
To protect or supervise someone.
- “An older cousin watched over the younger children all summer.”
Similar: guard, supervise