Make vs. Do in English — What's the difference?

If you're trying to speak English, the verbs make and do can be confusing. Let's learn about the difference between these two words and practice using them in this lesson.

The difference between Make and Do in English

In English, we use make to talk about creating something. It describes actions that result in a physical object, an abstract idea, and other things.

• I made cookies

• They need to make a better plan

• We are making pizza

• He makes those sculptures

If you aren't talking about creating something, you should use do. Use do to talk about things that don't produce something. Do describes general ideas, duties, and tasks.

• I do yoga every day

• They didn't do a good job painting my house

• We don't like pizza

• She does her homework at night

Careful! Don't say Do too much

We can use do to talk about activities, but we often remove do from sentences and just use a verb instead. Let's look at some examples.

Remember to conjugate

Like other verbs, make and do can change depending on the tense.

• I make dinner on Sunday each week

• They made a table out of wood

• He makes movie posters

• We are making a toy for our dog

• I do the dishes on the weekends

• They didn't enjoy the show

• She does community service on Wednesdays

• We are doing a costume contest at school

Practice and review

Let's check your knowledge. Review what you learned with this quick English grammar exercise: