pass up

/pɑːs ˈʌp/

//pɑːs ˈʌp// verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To refuse (not accept); forgo.

Key facts for pass up
PropertyValue
Headwordpass up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɑːs ˈʌp/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pass up” sits in English frequency

pass 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.

Rare enough to double-check

pass up is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /pɑːs ˈʌp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

pass up doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is pass up, spelled P-A-S-S- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To refuse (not accept); forgo.
  2. 2
    To submit (hand in) items to a person, usually one's teacher.
  3. 3
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pass, up.

Synonyms

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 "pass up"?
"pass up" is spelled P-A-S-S- -U-P. The IPA pronunciation is /pɑːs ˈʌp/.
What does "pass up" mean?
As a verb, "pass up" means: To refuse (not accept); forgo.
How do you pronounce "pass up"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pass up" is /pɑːs ˈʌp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "pass up" come from?
"pass 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 “pass up”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-S-S- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɑːs ˈʌp/ (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