Check out vs Checkout

Check out

Check out is a phrasal verb of the word check, which has 2 meanings:

• to look at someone/something
• to sign for something (like a will)

You can also add a noun or pronoun between the words, like ‘check this out’, ‘check the items out’ etc.

Example usage:

• I am going to check out the place tomorrow. (I am going to see/explore the place)
• Let’s check out the movie tickets for Saturday evening.
• Hey, check this game out, it’s so entertaining and engaging.
• I tried to check out the item from my cart, but looks like there is a technical issue.  (Notice that we don’t use checkout here, because here check out indicates an action (verb))

Sometimes, check out is used with a hyphen i.e. check-out. This is not a very correct usage and should be avoided.

Checkout

Checkout is used as a noun or adjective. It is used to indicate a departure from a place, like a line at the grocery store, or a hotel. Examples:

• The checkout is at 12pm every day.
• There is such a big line for the checkout today!
• The checkout date for these books is tomorrow, so finish reading them fast.

The main point to remember is the part of the speech of each word:

• checkout – noun/adjective
• check out – verb

Read the below sentences carefully:

• We will check out from the hotel at 12pm.
• The checkout time at the hotel is 12pm.

The meanings are same; however, the describing word is different. In the first sentence, check out is a verb i.e. the action in the sentence is ‘checking out’. However, the second sentence has modal verb ‘is’, and there is no other verb. It is a general statement and not particularly referring to any action.

Another example,

• The apples I checked out from your shop weren’t verified for quality.
• The checkout process wasn’t properly followed at your shop.

Remember to use check out with the space when checking out is the action, else use checkout without the spaces.