phrasal verb · neutral

take for

UK/teɪk fɔː(r)/US/teɪk fɔr/take·FOR

speakingtask2

to think that someone or something is someone/something else; to mistake or regard as

Examples

I took him for a local because he spoke the dialect fluently.

Don't take me for someone who's easily fooled.

She was taken for a relative of the celebrity because of her resemblance.

Band 8 sentence

At dusk I took the silhouette for a tree, but as I approached I realised it was a person.

Collocations

  • take someone for someone/something
  • be taken for

Word family

take (v) verbmistake for phrasal verb

Common mistakes

I take him as a teacher.I took him for a teacher.

I take him for teacherI took him for a teacher

Say it for a higher band

5assume6mistake for7+take for

Synonyms

mistake for

assume

Easily confused

mistake for

She mistook him for his brother because they looked so similar.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In take …

Learn it with its set