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TOEIC Link Part 5: emigrate versus immigrate

Emigrate and immigrate describe the same movement of people between countries but from opposite viewpoints: emigrate means to leave one country (you emigrate FROM), while immigrate means to enter another (you immigrate TO). Part 5 tests whether you match the verb to its preposition and direction — leaving a place versus arriving at one.

EnglishBlitz Team·

TOEIC Link Part 5: emigrate versus immigrate

Emigrate and immigrate describe the very same event — a person moving from one country to another — but they view it from opposite ends. Emigrate (verb) means to leave one's own country to settle elsewhere; you emigrate from a place. Immigrate (verb) means to come into a new country to settle; you immigrate to a place. The difference is direction, and the preposition is the giveaway. Part 5 exploits the near-identical spelling to check whether you track the direction of movement. For the wider set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.

The core rule: leaving versus arriving

  • emigrate (verb) = to leave one country to live in another; pairs with from. Her grandparents emigrated from Ireland in 1920. / Many engineers emigrate in search of opportunity. It answers which country did they leave? — the e in emigrate matches the e in exit.
  • immigrate (verb) = to enter a new country to settle there; pairs with to or into. They immigrated to Canada last year. / Thousands immigrate into the region annually. It answers which country did they enter? — the i in immigrate matches the i in into.

The two describe one journey from two viewpoints. Someone who leaves Japan emigrates from Japan and, on arrival, immigrates to the new country. A memory hook: Emigrate = Exit; Immigrate = Into. Match the first letter to the direction and the preposition follows.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

The pair rewards attention to the preposition and the direction of movement, and the accompanying from or to is the reliable tell.

Her family __ from Vietnam in the 1980s.

The word from and the idea of leaving point to emigrated.

He plans to __ to Australia after graduation.

The word to and the idea of arriving point to immigrate.

Spotting the clue

Check the preposition and the direction the sentence emphasizes:

  • Is the focus on leaving a home country (often with from)? → choose emigrate (emigrate from, emigrated abroad).
  • Is the focus on entering a new country (often with to or into)? → choose immigrate (immigrate to, immigrate into).

A quick test: if the sentence stresses the point of departure, use emigrate (exit); if it stresses the destination, use immigrate (into). When you see from, lean emigrate; when you see to, lean immigrate. For more pairs where a shared root hides a meaning gap, see the business and finance confusable pairs study guide.

Quick self-check

  1. Millions __ from Europe to the Americas in the nineteenth century. (emigrated — leaving, from)
  2. After the merger, several specialists __ to the company's headquarters country. (immigrated — arriving, to)
  3. She __ from her homeland to pursue a research career overseas. (emigrated — leaving, from)

Takeaway

If the sentence stresses leaving a home country — usually with from — you need emigrate, where the e echoes exit. If it stresses entering a new country — usually with to or into — you need immigrate, where the i echoes into. Read the preposition and the direction of movement, and the choice resolves itself. To see how this pair fits the wider set of Part 5 sound-alikes, return to the commonly confused word pairs master index.