update
/ˈʌp.deɪt/noun, verb
update is spelled U-P-D-A-T-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 49 times per million words in written English, the 2,072nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, update means “An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of update is updates.
How many letters and syllables are in update?
| Letters | 6: U-P-D-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 49 times per million words; the 2,072nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is update?
Update appears 49 times per million words in written English, the 2,072nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce update?
- /ˈʌp.deɪt/
- /ʌpˈdeɪt/
Update has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-update.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-update_(verb).wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of update
- updates plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- updating participle, present
- updated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does update mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.
I just made an update to my blog about my trip to Rome.
- 2
An advisement providing more up-to-date information than currently known.
He gave me an update on the situation in New York.
- 3
A modification of something to a more recent, up-to-date version; (in software) a minor upgrade.
Our database receives an update every morning at 3 AM.
- 4
An adjustment of parameters in a model, or the rule by which they are adjusted.
stochastic update
- 5
A version of something which is newer than other versions.
You should try the update: it rocks.
verb
- 1
To bring (a thing) up to date.
I need to update my records to take account of the most recent transaction.
- 2
To bring (a person) up to date: to inform (a person) about recent developments.
Update me on what happened while I was away.
- 3
To change one's credence in a proposition in response to new evidence.
I need to update on the new data.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate update?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of update: CUD.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Update in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mise à jour, actualisation, update , mettre à jour, actualiser, updater |
| German | Aktualisierung, Update , aktualisieren, auf den neuesten Stand bringen, auf den jüngsten Stand bringen, aufdatieren |
| Portuguese | atualização , atualizar , pôr ao corrente |
| Spanish | actualización , actualizar |
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 update come from?
From up- + date. Earliest usages from 1940s (see Citations).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).