hang up

verb

"hang-up" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hang 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
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To put up to hang.

Key facts for hang up
PropertyValue
Headwordhang up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hang up” sits in English frequency

hang 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 hang up is 7 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 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for hang up in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is hang up, spelled H-A-N-G- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To put up to hang.
  2. 2
    To terminate a telephone call, originally by hanging the receiver on its hook or cradle thereby automatically disconnecting the line.
  3. 3
    To stop talking.
  4. 4
    To keep delayed, suspended, held up, or stuck.
  5. 5
    To rob or mug (someone).
  6. 6
    To arrest (someone); to send (someone) to prison.
  7. 7
    To quit (something); to give up or stop doing (something); to abandon (something).
  8. 8
    To distress, disadvantage or harm (someone).

This word in other languages

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 "hang up"?
"hang up" is spelled H-A-N-G- -U-P.
What does "hang up" mean?
As a verb, "hang up" means: To put up to hang.
What language does "hang up" come from?
"hang 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 “hang up”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-N-G- -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