Learn 30 phrasal verbs in 30 days!

Jumpstart your vocabulary in 2017.

Today is Day 16 and we're studying "head" phrasal verbs.

Head. The noun head is this.

That’s one of the meanings. You probably know that.

As a phrasal verb, it has meanings completely unrelated to the body part.

Head back. Well, it has nothing to do with the back of the head.

It means to return to start the journey back to where you were.

Maybe you've gone out for walk and you say "I’m starting to feel tired. Why don’t we head back?"

I’m going to head back around 7.

Head out has a similar meaning. It means to leave,

but it refers to the place that you are, not the place that you’re returning to.

If you say “I’m going to head out”, no one has to know where you’re going.

But if you say “I’m going to head back,” then you’re returning somewhere,

and whomever you’re talking to knows where you’re going.

I think it’s time to head out, I don’t want to be late.

Head for or towards. Again, movement, a direction.

You can use it literally: Let’s head for the lake.

You can also use it figuratively: I’d like to head towards a solution to this problem.

“Head off” has nothing to do with “off with his head!”

It means to prevent something from happening. They’re trying to head off the publication of my article.

You can also use it with people, to prevent them from going somewhere.

Try to head her off at the door, I don’t want her to see the painting until I’m done with it.

We can also use ‘head off’ just like ‘head out’, to leave.

Well, I guess it’s time to head off.

Head up, head down. Head down means, similar to head out or head back, movement in a direction.

We use it with road, path. If you’re giving directions, you might say, "You want to head down I-95 to exit 40."

We also use it figuratively: Let’s say you’re visiting a town where someone you know lives,

but you don’t know that person well, maybe you don’t like that person all that much.

A friend asks you if you want to give that person a call when you arrive.

You could say, I don’t want to head down that road. I don’t want to have to visit her every time I’m in town.

Head up doesn’t have anything to do with movement or direction.

We use it to mean to be in charge of something.

She’s going to head up our marketing division.

You can also use this without up: She’s going to head the team.

Head. H sound a very light sound of air passing through the vocal cords.

Hh-- Hh-- Head. Head.

Then the EH vowel. Jaw drops, tongue tip stays down, middle part of the tongue lifts a bit

Eh-- eh-- hea-- head.

And the D sound. Tongue goes to the roof of the mouth, dd--

we voice the vocal cords, --dd and you can release lightly, head.

Some native speakers won’t release this. They’ll say ‘head-head-head’ instead of ‘head’.

Leaving the tongue in position and a little bit of the d sound in the throat.

Head. Or released, head.

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