Do you have a minute to spare to learn some English? Sam’s going to explain how to use match, fit and suit with clothes! Give us 60 seconds and we’ll give you the English
Sam
Hi, I’m Sam from BBC Learning English and today we’re going to look at the differences between to match, to fit and to suit when talking about clothes.
To match simply means that two things are the same or very similar – that they look good together. Your blue shirt matches your blue eyes.
To fit means that something is the correct size. My glasses don’t fit. This is a fact, not an opinion.
So if you want to say that you think someone looks good in what they’re wearing to pay them a compliment, then we use the verb to suit. That dress really suits you.
Yes, it looks and sounds the same as the noun a suit. The meaning and how we use it are different but the spelling and pronunciation are the same. Not /swiːt/, /suːt/.
Match vs fit vs suit
Match
Match means that two things are the same or very similar.
- Your blue shirt matches your blue eyes.
- Our cars match! They’re both red hatchbacks!
Fit
Fit means that something is the correct size. This is a fact, not an opinion.
- My glasses don’t fit.
- I can’t fit into my jeans. I think I put on weight!
Suit
Suit means that something looks good on someone. It’s used to pay someone a compliment.
- That dress really suits you.
- Those shoes don’t suit you. You should wear something more formal.