wake up

/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/

//ˌweɪk ˈʌp// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“wake up” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To stop sleeping; to awake.

Key facts for wake up
PropertyValue
Headwordwake up
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wake up” sits in English frequency

wake 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for wake up is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for wake up, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wake + up. The correct English form is wake up, spelled W-A-K-E- -U-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop sleeping; to awake.
  2. 2
    To awaken somebody.
  3. 3
    To become more aware of a real-life situation; to concentrate on the matter in hand.

Etymology

From wake + up.

This word in other languages

despertarse(Español)se réveiller(Français)aufwachen(Deutsch)acordar(Português)

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 "wake up"?
"wake up" is spelled W-A-K-E- -U-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/.
What does "wake up" mean?
As a verb, "wake up" means: To stop sleeping; to awake.
How do you pronounce "wake up"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wake up" is /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "wake up"?
From wake + up. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “wake up”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-K-E- -U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌweɪk 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list