capture and catch share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. capture means “succeed in representing or expressing something intangible”. catch means “discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state”. catch is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkæptʃɚ/
1.v.succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
“capture the essence of Spring”
2.v.attract; cause to be enamored
“She captured all the men's hearts”
3.v.succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase
“We finally got the suspect”
| capture | catch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkæptʃɚ/ | /ˈkætʃ/ |
| Said | KAP-chur | kach |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 7 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, noun |
| Senses | 11 | 39 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | none recorded |
Full entry for capture · Full entry for catch · More comparisons
/ˈkætʃ/
1.v.discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
“She caught her son eating candy”
2.v.perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
“I caught the aroma of coffee”
3.v.reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
“the rock caught her in the back of the head”