# “I’ll Look Into It”: What It Really Means at Work > To investigate or examine a matter or issue. - **Term:** look into - **Part of speech:** phrasal verb - **Pronunciation:** /lʊk ˈɪntuː/ - **English level (CEFR):** B1–B2 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Business jargon](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/business-jargon.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/look-into - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning To investigate or examine a matter or issue. In software development, "look into" appears frequently when engineers need to investigate technical issues without committing to immediate solutions. During standups, a team member might say they'll look into a performance regression, meaning they'll analyze logs and metrics to understand root causes. In pull request reviews, engineers request that authors look into unexpected test failures. During incidents, on-call engineers look into system outages by checking monitoring data and error traces. The phrase is also common in interviews when discussing how you'd approach unfamiliar problems. For example, a teammate might say: "I'll look into why the deployment failed yesterday and report back tomorrow." A common mistake learners make is using "look into" when they mean "look at" for quick glances, or confusing it with "look after" which means to care for something. "Look into" specifically implies investigation and deeper analysis, not just a casual observation. ## When you hear it Used in standups, Slack, tickets, meetings, and emails. Works in both casual and professional settings. ## Examples - **Standup:** "I'll look into the reported bug and fix it." - **Slack message:** "Hey, can you look into why the API is returning 500 errors?" - **GitHub PR:** "I looked into this issue and the fix is in the latest commit." - **Jira ticket:** "Need someone to look into the performance degradation on the dashboard." - **Retrospective:** "We should look into why deployments took so long this sprint." - **Sprint planning:** "I'll look into the scope before we estimate this story." - **Pair programming:** "Let's look into why this function is returning null." ## What native speakers say - "I'll look into it and get back to you." - "We're looking into the root cause now." - "Can someone look into why the tests are failing?" - "I looked into it yesterday but didn't find anything." - "Let me look into that before the next meeting." ## Common mistakes - ✗ "I will look into about the bug." → ✓ "I will look into the bug." (No preposition needed after 'look into' — it already contains 'into'.) - ✗ "I looked into it and I fixed." → ✓ "I looked into it and I fixed it." ('Fixed' needs an object — you must say what you fixed.) - ✗ "I will look into to find the problem." → ✓ "I will look into the problem." (Don't use 'to find' after 'look into' — the meaning is already included.) ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | base form | look into | I'll look into it today. | | present continuous | looking into | I'm looking into the issue now. | | past simple | looked into | I looked into it yesterday. | | present perfect | have looked into | We have looked into all the options. | ## Collocations - **look into an issue**: Most common combination — used for bugs or problems. - **look into the cause**: Focus on finding why something happened. - **look into it**: Very common short reply. Shows you will investigate. - **look into options**: Used when exploring possible solutions. - **look into further**: Signals more investigation is needed. ## Synonyms - **investigate**: More formal. Often used in documentation or reports. - **examine**: Slightly more formal. Focus on careful checking. - **check out**: More casual. Common in spoken English. - **dig into**: Informal. Suggests deeper, more detailed investigation. - **explore**: Broader. Used when considering multiple possibilities. ## Opposites - ignore - overlook - dismiss - skip ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/look-into ## FAQ ### What does 'look into' mean in a standup? 'Look into' means to investigate or examine something. In a standup, saying 'I'll look into it' means you will spend time checking the issue to understand or fix it. ### Is 'look into' formal or informal? 'Look into' is neutral — it works in casual Slack messages, standups, and more formal emails or documentation. It is safe to use in any work context. ### What is the difference between 'look into' and 'investigate'? 'Look into' is slightly more casual and common in everyday speech. 'Investigate' sounds more formal and is often used in written reports or official documentation. ### Can I say 'look into about'? No. 'Look into' already includes 'into', so you don't need another preposition. Say 'look into the issue' — not 'look into about the issue'. ### How do I use 'look into' in past tense? Use 'looked into'. For example: 'I looked into the bug yesterday but couldn't find the cause.' ### What does 'I'll look into it' mean in a Slack message? It means the person will investigate or check the issue. It is a common way to say you will work on understanding a problem but may not have an answer immediately. ## Related - [dig into](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/dig-into.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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