What is the difference between turn/switch on/off and put on/out?

Question

I'm learning English. I learnt that turn/switch on/off have the same meaning. (about electricity, light, device, etc).

But put on/out have the same meaning also (to make a device operate, or to cause a device to play/stop something, such as a CD or video, by pressing a switch).

so turn/switch on/off = put on/off? Are all of them same? Or what is difference in the maning?
Which one shall I use?

Answer 1

turn off,
a. to stop the flow of (water, gas, etc.), as by closing a faucet or valve.
b. to extinguish (a light).
c. to divert; deflect.
d. to diverge or branch off, as a side road from a main road.
e. to drive a vehicle or walk onto (a side road) from a main road: You turn off at 96th Street. Turn off the highway on the dirt road.
f. Slang. to stop listening: You could see him turn off as the speaker droned on.
g. Slang. to disaffect, alienate, or disgust.
h. Chiefly British. to discharge an employee.

turn on,
a. to cause (water, gas, etc.) to flow, as by opening a valve.
b. to switch on (a light).
c. to put into operation; activate.
d. to start suddenly to affect or show: She turned on the charm and won him over.
e. Slang. to induce (a person) to start taking a narcotic drug.
f. Slang. to take a narcotic drug.
g. Slang. to arouse or excite the interest of; engage: the first lecture that really turned me on.
h. Slang. to arouse sexually.

Switch on
cause to operate by flipping a switch; "switch on the light"

switch off
the act or process of switching off a power supply, light source, appliance, etc.

put on,
a. to clothe oneself with (an article of clothing).
b. to assume insincerely or falsely; pretend.
c. to assume; adopt.
d. to inflict; impose.
e. to cause to be performed; produce; stage.
f. Informal. to tease (a person), esp. by pretending the truth of something that is untrue: You can't be serious—you're putting me on, aren't you?
g. to act in a pretentious or ostentatious manner; exaggerate: All that putting on didn't impress anyone.

put off,
a. to postpone; defer.
b. to confuse or perturb; disconcert; repel: We were put off by the book's abusive tone.
c. to get rid of by delay or evasion.
d. to lay aside; take off.
e. to start out, as on a voyage.
f. to launch (a boat) from shore or from another vessel: They began to put off the lifeboats as the fire spread.

Answer 2

I was attracted to your question because I have an ESL friend who says "Close the light." (Won't go into detail about that) Turn and switch on/off are both acceptable, and normally apply to powered devices. You would put on a coat or a non-electric kettle, and you would put out the non-electric fire, the cat or the garbage.
I think that your English is already very good indeed. Well done!

Answer 3

switch and turn on does have the same meaning if you refer to the definition "cause to operate by flipping a switch", however turn on is a more general word, that can describe more than just that (you can lookup in the dictionary for other meanings). Also, it's possible that you are trying to turn on a device without switch it on (because it doesn't have a switch or the switch is already on, but the cable may be not connected.

Put on and put out have different meanings, you should check in the dictionary.

Here are the possible meanings for those words in google:
Possible meaning for put on:
# To judge an opponents hand to be something is to be "putting" him on a hand.
www.online-poker-rules.net/glossary-P-R.html
# wear: put clothing on one's body; "What should I wear today?"; "He put on his best suit for the wedding"; "The princess donned a long blue dress"; "The queen assumed the stately robes"; "He got into his jeans"
# add to something existing; "She put on a sun room"
# put on the stove or ready for cooking; "put on the tea, please!"
# carry out (performances); "They turned in a splendid effort"; "They turned in top jobs for the second straight game"
# add to the odometer; "He put on 1,000 miles on this trip"
# mount: prepare and supply with the necessary equipment for execution or performance; "mount a theater production"; "mount an attack"; "mount a play"
# apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!"
# gull: fool or hoax; "The immigrant was duped because he trusted everyone"; "You can't fool me!"
# gain: increase (one's body weight); "She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising"
# assumed: adopted in order to deceive; "an assumed name"; "an assumed cheerfulness"; "a fictitious address"; "fictive sympathy"; "a pretended interest"; "a put-on childish voice"; "sham modesty"

Possible meanings for put out:
# trouble: to cause inconvenience or discomfort to; "Sorry to trouble you, but..."
# put out considerable effort; "He put out the same for seven managers"
# smother: deprive of the oxygen necessary for combustion; "smother fires"
# exsert: thrust or extend out; "He held out his hand"; "point a finger"; "extend a hand"; "the bee exserted its sting"
# douse: put out, as of a candle or a light; "Douse the lights"
# be sexually active; "She is supposed to put out"
# cause to be out on a fielding play
# retire; "he was put out at third base on a long throw from left field"
# publish: prepare and issue for public distribution or sale; "publish a magazine or newspaper"
# anesthetize: make unconscious by means of anesthetic drugs; "The patient must be anesthetized before the operation"

Answer 4

switch on or off would be the correct grammar of saying to turn something on or off not put something on or off because to put something on or off refers to like putting your books on the tableor taking them off the table i hope that helps you

Answer 5

I think it depends more on how you see it.....