build up

verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"build-up" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“build up” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To erect; to construct.

Key facts for build up
PropertyValue
Headwordbuild up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “build up” sits in English frequency

build up falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for build up is 8 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for build up in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is build up, spelled B-U-I-L-D- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To erect; to construct.
  2. 2
    To close up by building.
  3. 3
    To accumulate: to increase incrementally or continually.
  4. 4
    To strengthen.
  5. 5
    In solitaire card games, to place a card over another card of lower value. (e.g., place 5♦ over 4♣)

This word in other languages

s'accumuler(Français)aufbauen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "build up"?
"build up" is spelled B-U-I-L-D- -U-P.
What does "build up" mean?
As a verb, "build up" means: To erect; to construct.
What language does "build up" come from?
"build up" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “build up”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-U-I-L-D- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list