Discuss or discuss about: Which is correct?

Discuss means to talk about a subject and share ideas. Put the subject after discuss, without about. With talk, use about to introduce the subject. When classmates arrange a day trip, they examine travel choices together. Discussing an itinerary does not mean arguing, agreeing immediately, or making a final choice. It simply describes people sharing thoughts on a topic. Standard English connects discuss directly to that topic, so adding about creates an unneeded word.

When you mention a conversation topic, you can choose between two standard verb patterns. You can say discuss the route or talk about the route. Both express the same core message. The same distinction applies with pronouns: say discuss it, but talk about it. If you use the noun discussion, adding about or of is entirely natural. A discussion about travel choices is correct because about connects the noun to its subject.

You can practise this again in On Friday or in Friday: which is correct? and Please contact me or myself: Which is correct?.

To name the person you are talking to, place with before that person. The standard pattern is discuss something with someone. For example, you can say, 'I will discuss the bus times with Elena.' The topic comes first, and the partner follows with. By comparison, talk allows talk to someone about something or talk with someone about something. Keeping the partner after with prevents confusion between who you are addressing and what you are considering.

The topic slot after discuss can hold an action ending in -ing, such as choosing a route or taking the train. Never use an infinitive with to directly after discuss: say discuss going, not discuss to go. However, you can use a question-word clause such as what to do or how we can travel. Keep normal statement word order inside the clause: say discuss how we can get there, not discuss how can we get there.

Questions and negatives keep the same topic pattern. After modal verbs like can or should, and auxiliary verbs like did or didn't, use the base form discuss without about. When reviewing your sentences, watch for discuss about. You have two reliable repairs: remove about, or change discuss to talk while keeping the original tense. For instance, discussed about becomes discussed or talked about. For additional practice with future arrangements, see /grammar/future-plans/.

Choosing between discuss and talk about depends on your conversational goal rather than strict formality. Both phrases belong in daily conversation among students and colleagues. Discuss often implies a focused exchange aimed at resolving a practical question or reaching an understanding. Talk about sounds slightly more casual and open-ended. Look at this conversation between two classmates organizing their travel: Maria says, 'Can we discuss the train times?' Leo replies, 'Yes, and let us talk about lunch options too.'

Listening for discuss requires paying attention to word stress and sound linking. The verb discuss places stress on the second syllable: dis-CUSS, /dɪˈskʌs/. It ends in a voiceless /s/ sound, not /z/. In connected speech, this final /s/ links smoothly to words starting with a vowel, as in discuss our plans. By contrast, about in talk about starts with a quiet schwa sound /əˈbaʊt/. Listen for both talk and about rather than identifying the pattern from one vowel.

Also distinguish the verb discuss from the noun discussion. The verb ends in /s/, while the noun contains the /ʃən/ sound at the end. In everyday conversations about class trips, train routes, or meeting locations, first identify what people are talking about. Next, listen for whether the speaker uses discuss directly before that topic or pairs talk with about. For more practice with connected speech, explore /micro-listenings/1-2/.

Consolidate what you have learned by practicing active correction and sentence creation. When you spot discuss about, choose one of two edits: drop about, or replace discuss with talk. For example, 'We should discuss about the coach' becomes 'We should discuss the coach' or 'We should talk about the coach.' When you name a partner, place the topic right after discuss and use with for the person, as in discuss the schedule with Leo.