carry on

/ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/

//ˈkæɹi ˈɑn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“carry on” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To continue or proceed as before.

Corpus desk

Index EN-carry-on · carry on · English

carry on · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for carry on
PropertyValue
Headwordcarry on
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “carry on” in English

carry onsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

carry on is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for carry on, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Equivalent to carry onward. The correct English form is carry on, spelled C-A-R-R-Y- -O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To continue or proceed as before.
  2. 2
    To continue, maintain or pursue (an activity or enterprise).
  3. 3
    To persist, persevere.
  4. 4
    To talk continuously or prolongedly (about something), often in an excessively excited way.
  5. 5
    To act or behave; especially, to misbehave so as to attract attention; to make a fuss; to behave ostentatiously.
  6. 6
    To have an illicit sexual or flirtatious relationship.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how carry on appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I’ll be gone for a few days, but I hope you will carry on in my absence.
  2. to carry on commerce in a market

Etymology

Equivalent to carry onward.

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 "carry on"?
"carry on" is spelled C-A-R-R-Y- -O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/.
What does "carry on" mean?
As a verb, "carry on" means: To continue or proceed as before.
How do you pronounce "carry on"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "carry on" is /ˈkæɹi ˈɑn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "carry on"?
Equivalent to carry onward. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list