Meaning & use
note
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Meanings
nouncountable
A short piece of writing, used to remember something or to send a brief message.
Grammar: Countable: leave a note, take notes.
Patterns
- leave someone a note
- take notes
- a note about something
She left a note on the fridge saying she would be late.
I took notes during the lecture.
He wrote a quick note to thank his aunt.
nouncountablemusic
A single sound in music with a particular pitch, or the written sign for it.
Grammar: Countable: play a note, hit a high note.
Patterns
- hit a note
- play a note
The singer held the last note for ten seconds.
She played the wrong note in the middle of the song.
Each note on the piano has its own pitch.
nounsingular
A feeling or quality that is present in something such as a voice or situation.
Grammar: Usually a note of something: a note of caution.
Patterns
- a note of something
There was a note of worry in her voice.
The report ended on a hopeful note.
He added a note of humour to the speech.
verbtransitiveformal
To notice or become aware of something, or to mention it in words.
Grammar: Takes an object or that clause: note the date, note that prices rose.
Patterns
- note something
- note that something
Please note that the office closes early on Fridays.
She noted a small crack in the glass.
The study notes a rise in pollution.
nouncountableBritish
A piece of paper money.
Grammar: Countable, mostly in British English: a ten-pound note. American English usually says bill.
Patterns
- a five-pound note
He paid with a twenty-pound note.
The shop would not accept the torn note.
She found a crumpled note in her coat.
Word forms
| third person singular | notes |
|---|---|
| past tense | noted |
| past participle | noted |
| -ing form | noting |
| plural | notes |
Common combinations
- take note of
- Please take note of the new opening hours.
- make a note of
- I made a note of her phone number.
- compare notes
- The teachers compared notes after the meeting.
- end on a high note
- The concert ended on a high note.
- note of caution
- The doctor added a note of caution about the dose.
- worthy of note
- Her speed was worthy of note.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memo
- Memo is a short written message in a workplace, whereas note can be a casual personal reminder.
- message
- Message is wider and can be spoken or electronic, while note usually means a short piece of writing.
- observe
- Observe stresses watching and noticing carefully, while note can also mean just writing or mentioning something.
- notice
- Notice is about seeing or becoming aware, whereas note adds that you remember or record it.
Opposites
Word family
- notable adjective
- worth noticing or famous
- noted adjective
- well known for something
- notation noun
- a system of written symbols
- notebook noun
- a book for writing notes
- noteworthy adjective
- deserving attention
Commonly confused: note or not? note or knot?
note vs not
Not is a word for saying no or negating, while note is a message or a musical sound.
note vs knot
A knot is a tied loop in rope, and sounds nearly the same as not but is spelled with a silent k.
Practice
The teacher asked the class to ___ that the exam would start at nine.
Choose one answer.
Note that is the pattern for drawing attention to a fact. Knot is a different word, noticed would need a different structure, and noted is a past form that does not fit after to.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “note”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.