Meaning trap

let out

allow someone to leave a place

To allow someone to leave a room, building, or other place by opening a door or gate.

phrasal verbB1common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

allow someone to leave a place

To allow someone to leave a room, building, or other place by opening a door or gate.

let out (make a sound (e.g. a scream, sigh))

Another meaning of 'let out' is 'make a sound (e.g. a scream, sigh)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

Can you let the dog out before you leave for work?daily life
At my old school, the teachers wouldn’t let us out of the classroom until the bell rang.IELTS speaking

Pattern: let + object + out

WrongPlease let out me, I'm trapped.

RightPlease let me out, I'm trapped.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle — 'let me out'.

Patternlet + object + out

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff Could you permit the dog to exit into the garden?

Natural Can you let the dog out?

'Let out' is the everyday verb for letting someone or something leave. 'Permit to exit' is formal.

Words that usually travel with it.

'Let out' is about allowing someone to leave; 'let in' is the opposite—allowing someone to enter.

let out (make a sound (e.g. a scream, sigh)) — Another meaning of 'let out' is 'make a sound (e.g. a scream, sigh)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.