upper
up·per/ˈʌpɚ/adjective, noun, verb
upper is spelled U-P-P-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables (up·per). It appears 52 times per million words in written English, the 1,941st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, upper means “At a higher physical position, level, rank or order” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in upper?
| Letters | 5: U-P-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: up·per |
| In writing | 52 times per million words; the 1,941st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in 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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is upper?
Upper appears 52 times per million words in written English, the 1,941st 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 upper?
- UK /ˈʌpə/
- US /ˈʌpɚ/
- /ˈʊpə/
Upper has 2 syllables, split up·per in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-upper.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with upper?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as upper from its last stressed vowel (/ʌpəɹ/):
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 upper
- uppermore comparative, rare
- uppermost superlative
- uppers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- uppering participle, present
- uppered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does upper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
At a higher physical position, level, rank or order.
- 2
Situated on higher ground, further inland, more upstream, or more northerly.
- 3
Younger, more recent.
- 4
Of or pertaining to a secondary school.
noun
- 1
A stimulant, such as amphetamine, that increases energy and decreases appetite.
- 2
Anything that cheers one up.
- 3
The upper portion of something.
- 4
The piece of material that forms the top part of a shoe or boot above the sole.
Holonyms: shoe, boot
- 5
The Y-shaped strap on flip-flops.
- 6
Someone with higher social standing
- 7
A senior student.
- 8
That which is higher, contrasted with the lower.
verb
- 1
rareTo fix an upper onto a shoe.
- 2
nonstandardTo raise.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate upper?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of upper: U.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Upper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | supérieur , empeigne |
| German | oberer , Oberleder , ober , Upper |
| Portuguese | superior, acima, de cima |
| Spanish | superior , empeine , de arriba (más) |
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 upper come from?
Inherited from Middle English upper. By surface analysis, up + -er.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).