start up
/stɑɹˈtʌp/verb
start up is spelled S-T-A-R-T-U-P: 7 letters and 2 syllables. People search “start-up vs startup” about 70 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, start up means “To rise suddenly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in start up?
| Letters | 7: S-T-A-R-T-U-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | a phrase: the frequency list counts single words |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How do you pronounce start up?
- UK /stɑːˈtʌp/
- US /stɑɹˈtʌp/
Start up has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with start up
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: startup (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with start up?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as start up from its last stressed vowel (/ʌp/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of start up
- starts up present, singular, he/she/it
- starting up participle, present
- started up participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does start up mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To rise suddenly.
He started up when he heard the scream.
- 2
To commence the operation of; to activate; to launch.
The four of them started up a law practice.
- 3
To begin to operate.
The engine started up right away.
- 4
colloquialTo begin.
The band started up playing.
- 5
To begin to make a sound
First a solitary blackbird started up, but soon the whole forest was alive with birdsong.
noun
- 1
Alternative spelling of startup.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Start up in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | auftauchen |
| Spanish | encender, acender, prender |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does start up come from?
Deverbal from start up.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).