Grammar fix
sound out
discreetly gauge opinion
to carefully ask someone what they think about something, often to find out their opinion or intentions without making your own position clear
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- Before announcing the new policy, the manager sounded out a few team members to see how they’d react.work
- In my previous job, I often had to sound out colleagues before suggesting major changes, just to make sure everyone was on board.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: sound someone out (about/on something)
WrongI sounded out about the idea to my boss.
RightI sounded my boss out about the idea.
You sound OUT the person, ABOUT the idea — the person is the object.
Patternsound someone out (about/on something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Sound out' compactly means quietly test someone's opinion; the formal version is stiff.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
sound out + persona few colleaguesthe teamhimabout it
Don't confuse it
This sense is different from the literal use of 'sound out' (e.g., in teaching children to pronounce words), as here it means to discreetly check someone’s views or intentions.