one-upmanship

/(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/

//(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp// noun

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

"one-upmanship" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.

Key facts for one-upmanship
PropertyValue
Headwordone-upmanship
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “one-upmanship” sits in English frequency

one-upmanship 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.

Rare enough to double-check

one-upmanship is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for one-upmanship, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From one-up + -manship, probably modelled after gamesmanship. The correct English form is one-upmanship, spelled O-N-E---U-P-M-A-N-S-H-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.
  2. 2
    A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.

Etymology

From one-up + -manship, probably modelled after gamesmanship.

This word in other languages

course à l'échalote(Français)

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 "one-upmanship"?
"one-upmanship" is spelled O-N-E---U-P-M-A-N-S-H-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/.
What does "one-upmanship" mean?
As a noun, "one-upmanship" means: The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor.
How do you pronounce "one-upmanship"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "one-upmanship" is /(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/. 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 "one-upmanship"?
From one-up + -manship, probably modelled after gamesmanship. 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.

Using “one-upmanship”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-N-E---U-P-M-A-N-S-H-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /(ˌ)wʌnˈʌpmənʃɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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