What's the difference between 'check out' and 'checkout' in tech?

'Check out' (two words) is a phrasal verb meaning to look at or review something. 'Checkout' (one word) is a noun (like an e-commerce checkout page) or a Git command (git checkout branch-name).

Is 'check out' too casual for work emails?

'Check out' is fine for Slack, standups, and internal emails. For formal emails to clients or executives, use 'review' or 'take a look at' instead.

Can I say 'check out about'?

No. Don't use 'about' after 'check out.' Say 'check out the document' not 'check out about the document.'

Where does the pronoun go with 'check out'?

With pronouns like 'it' or 'this,' the pronoun goes between: 'check it out' not 'check out it.'

Does 'check out' mean the same as 'git checkout'?

Not exactly. 'Git checkout' is a specific command to switch branches or restore files. 'Check out' in conversation means to look at or review something.

Can I use 'check out' in a code review comment?

Yes! 'Check out this approach' or 'Can you check out line 42?' are natural in code reviews.

What Does "Check Out" Mean at Work?

Commonness
Versatility
Formality	CasualFormalCasual
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓Can you check out this PR when you have a moment?

✓I checked out the new design yesterday—looks great!

✓You should check out their documentation, it's really helpful.

✓Let me check out what's causing the bug.

✓Check out this article on microservices.

Real examples

Standup

"Yesterday I checked out the new API documentation to understand the endpoints."

Slack message

"Hey, can you check out this library? I think it could solve our caching issue."

GitHub PR

"Please check out my implementation before approving—I made some changes to the utils."

Jira ticket

"Check out the attached mockups for the updated flow."

Retrospective

"We should check out how other teams handle on-call rotations."

Sprint planning

"Let's check out the competitors' websites for inspiration and ideas."

Pair programming

"Check out this function—I think we can refactor it."

Don't say this

✕I will check out it tomorrow.

✓I will check it out tomorrow.— With pronouns (it, this, that), the pronoun goes between 'check' and 'out.'

✕Please checkout the document.

✓Please check out the document.— 'Checkout' (one word) is a noun or Git command. The phrasal verb is two words: 'check out.'

✕I checked out about the issue.

✓I checked out the issue.— Don't use 'about' after 'check out.' The object follows directly.

Other forms

base form

check out

"Can you check out this bug?"

past tense

checked out

"I checked out the new feature yesterday."

present participle

checking out

"I'm checking out the error logs now."

noun (one word)

checkout

"The checkout process is broken."

Often used with

check out the codeReview or examine code changes.

check out a branchGit command: switch to a specific branch.

check out the documentationRead and review docs.

check out this toolTry or evaluate a tool.

check out the designLook at UI/UX mockups or specs.

Similar words

look atMore neutral; less casual than 'check out.'

reviewMore formal; often used in official processes like code review.

take a look atVery similar; slightly softer and polite.

examineMore formal; suggests careful, detailed inspection.

have a look atBritish English; same meaning, equally casual.

Opposites

ignoreskipoverlookdismiss

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Choose the most natural sentence

1. You want a teammate to look at a new JavaScript library.

Can you check out this library?Can you checkout about this library?Can you check out about this library?

Find the error

2. I will check out it after lunch.

I will check out it after lunch.I will check it out after lunch.I will checkout it after lunch.

Complete the sentence

3. Yesterday I _____ the error logs and found the issue.

Rewrite more casually

4. Please review the documentation before the meeting.

More words

look into review take a look dig into go through skim have a look

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "check out" in a standup this week?

Want more structured practice like this? Our English for Programmers course covers real workplace English in depth.

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