What is a phrasal verb in English?

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or two particles (a preposition or adverb) that together create a new meaning. For example, "give up" (to stop trying) means something completely different from "give" (to hand something over). Phrasal verbs are essential for natural English, especially in British contexts.

What are the most common phrasal verbs in English?

The most common English phrasal verbs include: at work — follow up, carry out, take on, set up, deal with; in daily life — wake up, run out of, look for, get on with, sort out; in social life — get on with, catch up, look after, turn up. This guide covers 25 essential phrasal verbs organised by context.

How do you learn phrasal verbs effectively?

The most effective way to learn phrasal verbs is not to memorise lists but to hear them repeatedly in real context. The brain retains vocabulary much better when it is anchored to a story or concrete situation. Spaced repetition — reviewing words just before you forget them — then consolidates the vocabulary long-term.

How many phrasal verbs do you need to speak English fluently?

English has thousands of phrasal verbs, but mastering the 25 most frequent ones will allow you to understand the vast majority of everyday conversations, especially in British contexts. Knowing the key work and daily-life phrasal verbs is enough to communicate fluently day-to-day in the UK.

Are British English phrasal verbs different from American English?

Many phrasal verbs are shared, but some have different frequencies or nuances. For example, "hand in your notice" (to resign) is the typically British expression. "Sort out" is also far more common in British English than in American English. This guide includes specific notes on the most frequent uses in British English.

Which phrasal verbs are most important for working in the UK?

For working in the UK, the most useful phrasal verbs are: follow up (to check on progress), carry out (to execute a task), put off (to postpone), take on (to accept responsibility), draw up (to prepare a document), hand in (to submit), set up (to organise or create), and deal with (to handle a problem). These come up constantly in meetings, emails, and office conversations.

25 Most Common English Phrasal Verbs (British Examples)

What is a phrasal verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a completely new meaning. "Look" means to see, but "look after" means to care for and "look up to" means to admire. The meaning changes entirely.

Phrasal verbs are every Spanish speaker's nightmare when learning English. Nobody teaches them in class, but native speakers use them constantly. This guide covers 25 of the most important ones organized by situation — with real examples, translations, and notes on British English.

Why phrasal verbs matter so much

One phrasal verb every 192 words

In real English, a phrasal verb appears on average once every 192 words. It is impossible to follow an everyday conversation without them: they are everywhere, even though they are rarely taught in class.

Source: Gardner & Davies (2007), British National Corpus.

4-5 times more frequent in speech

Phrasal verbs are 4 to 5 times more frequent in spoken English (around 5,200 per million words) than in academic writing (around 1,200 per million). That is why textbook English sounds different from street English.

Source: Biber et al. (1999), Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English.

A short list covers most of them

You do not need to learn the thousands that exist. The 150 most frequent phrasal verbs cover around 75% of all occurrences in a corpus of more than 450 million words. That is why this guide focuses on the most used ones, not an endless list.

Source: PHaVE List, Garnier & Schmitt (2015), Corpus of Contemporary American English.

Work & career

Essential phrasal verbs for meetings, emails, and everyday professional life.

follow up

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carry out

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put off

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take on

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draw up

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hand in

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set up

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deal with

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Native British Audio

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Carlos arrived in London without a word. Today he negotiates his own rent. Step into his first story — free, no card.

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Daily life

The phrasal verbs you will hear every day on the street, at home, and in casual conversations.

wake up

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run out of

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look for

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give up

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clean up

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turn on / turn off

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pick up

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sort out

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70% of what you read is forgotten in 48hEbbinghaus curve — without review

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How NexSpeak teaches phrasal verbs

Memorizing lists of phrasal verbs does not work. The brain does not remember isolated data — it remembers context, emotion, and narrative.

In NexSpeak, phrasal verbs appear in 10-15 minute immersive stories with native audio. When Carlos "sorts out" a problem at work or Sofia "puts off" a difficult conversation, the meaning sticks because it is anchored to a real situation.

After each story, key structures — including phrasal verbs — become English flashcards with spaced repetition. You review them just before forgetting them.

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Conclusion

The 25 phrasal verbs in this guide are not all that exist — English has thousands. But if you master the ones on this list, you will be able to understand the vast majority of everyday English conversations, especially in British contexts.

The trick is not to memorize them but to hear them in context repeatedly. NexSpeak stories are designed exactly for that.

If you work or are looking for a job in the UK, check out our guide to professional English for the UK workplace — real phrases for interviews, emails, and meetings.

And if you live in the UK and want to understand how to learn English in real life, read our complete guide: how to learn English in the UK as a Spanish speaker.

The 25 Most Common Phrasal Verbs in English (With Real Examples)

Work & career

Daily life

Social life & relationships

How NexSpeak teaches phrasal verbs

Conclusion