upward
/ˈʌpwɚd/adverb, adjective
upward is spelled U-P-W-A-R-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, upward means “In a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in upward?
| Letters | 6: U-P-W-A-R-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th 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 upward?
Upward appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th 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 upward?
- US /ˈʌpwɚd/
- UK /ˈʌpwəd/
- /ˈʊpwəd/
Upward 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-upward.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of upward
- more upward comparative
- most upward superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does upward mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
In a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin.
We ran upward.
- 2
In the upper parts; above.
- 3
Yet more; indefinitely more; above; over.
adjective
- 1
Directed toward a higher place.
with upward eye; with upward course
noun
- 1
obsoleteThe upper part; the top.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Upward in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense toward an upper level:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | aufwärts |
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 upward come from?
From Old English upweardes, equivalent to up + -ward.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).