Meaning trap
make out
see or understand with difficulty
To see, hear, or understand something or someone with difficulty, often because it is unclear or far away.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To see, hear, or understand something or someone with difficulty, often because it is unclear or far away.
Another meaning of 'make out' is 'claim or pretend'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
It was so foggy that I could barely make out the road ahead.
During the listening test, sometimes the recording isn't very clear, so it's hard to make out every word.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I couldn't make out of his handwriting.
Say: I couldn't make out his handwriting.
'Make out' takes the object directly — no 'of'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Make out' is the everyday verb for barely seeing or hearing something; 'discern' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
make out + faint thing
- the words
- his face
- the sign
- what she said
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- make out (claim or pretend) — Another meaning of 'make out' is 'claim or pretend'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.