student asking question

Is there any difference in nuance between "pick out" and "pick"? Can I use "pick" instead?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

To "pick" and "pick out" are verbs with practically the same meaning. However, "pick out" specifically means to pick one thing from a group or selection of others. The speaker is referring to the action of choosing a "great outfit a week" out of a selection of clothes, so "pick out" is more appropriate in this context. Ex: I'm a very indecisive person. It's always hard to pick what to eat at a restaurant. Ex: I picked out the best apples from the bucket.

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