keep up with

verb

"keep-up-with" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“keep up with” 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
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.

Key facts for keep up with
PropertyValue
Headwordkeep up with
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “keep up with” sits in English frequency

keep up with 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 keep up with is 12 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 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for keep up with in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is keep up with, spelled K-E-E-P- -U-P- -W-I-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.
  2. 2
    To manage to remain up to date with trends, fashions, etc.
  3. 3
    To manage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc.

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 "keep up with"?
"keep up with" is spelled K-E-E-P- -U-P- -W-I-T-H.
What does "keep up with" mean?
As a verb, "keep up with" means: To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.
What language does "keep up with" come from?
"keep up with" 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 “keep up with”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-E-E-P- -U-P- -W-I-T-H - 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