# What Are Collocations? Why You Should Learn New Words in Sentences

> Source: https://mem-app.com/blogs/what-are-collocations (Mem-App blog, 2026-11-13)

A collocation is a pair or group of words that naturally go together, like *propound a theory*, *heavy rain* or *cope with stress*. You can know exactly what a word means and still sound "off" if you put it next to the wrong partner. The quickest way to learn a word's partners is to meet it inside a real sentence, not just a definition.

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## What is a collocation?

Some words almost always appear with the same other words. Native speakers don't think about it; the combination just sounds right. Here are a few common ones:

| Natural | Sounds wrong |
| --- | --- |
| propound a theory | make a theory |
| make a decision | do a decision |
| heavy rain | strong rain |
| strong coffee | powerful coffee |
| pay attention | give attention |

Take *propound*. It means "to put forward an idea or theory", and it almost always comes with words like *theory*, *idea* or *view*: "The professor propounded a bold new theory about sleep." You wouldn't propound a plan or a lunch order.

## Prepositions are partners too

Many words come with one preposition, and the wrong one is one of the most common mistakes learners make:

- **cope with** stress (not *cope of*)
- **depend on** friends (not *depend of*)
- **feel sorry for** someone
- **interested in** music
- an **attitude towards** work

There is rarely a logical rule for these. You have to learn the preposition together with the word.

## Why a definition isn't enough

A dictionary definition tells you what a word means. It doesn't tell you which words keep it company. An example sentence shows both at once: the meaning, the partner words and the grammar around it. That's why learning a new word inside a sentence helps you *use* it, not just recognise it.

## How Mem-App helps

Mem-App shows two example sentences and the pronunciation for every word you look up, and again every time you review it. So each time a word comes back for review, you see it with its partners, not on its own.

## Try it

1. **Look up** a word you met today and read both example sentences.
2. **Notice the partners:** which words or prepositions sit next to it?
3. **Review and rate it** when it's due: Easy, Good, Hard or Forgot.

## Try Mem-App free

Mem-App is free to start: the Starter plan covers up to 50 words and 5 new words a day, ad-free, with the full dictionary built in. It installs from your browser on Android, iPhone and iPad, Mac and Windows, with no app store needed. Try it at [mem-app.com](https://www.mem-app.com).

*I use English at work as my second language and meet new words every day. Which word partner always trips you up?*