ring up

call someone on the phone

B1

What does "ring sb up" mean?

"Ring up" is a British English expression meaning to telephone someone. You use it when you pick up the phone and call a person or place — a friend, a family member, a shop, or an office. It is very common in everyday spoken British English and feels natural in casual situations. One useful thing to know is that in British English, "ring up" and "ring" (without "up") mean exactly the same thing, so both are correct. American English speakers would normally say "call" instead of "ring up".

Examples

How to use it

ring + object + up

The most common pattern in everyday speech, especially with short noun objects like names or places.

I'll ring the office up and let them know you'll be late.

ring + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must always go between 'ring' and 'up' — never after 'up'.

She said she'd ring me up when she landed at the airport.

ring up + noun object

With longer noun phrases, it is also natural to keep the object after 'up' without separating.

Can you ring up the customer service team and ask about the delay?

ring up + to-infinitive

Use 'to' plus a verb to explain the reason for the call.

He rang up to ask whether the parcel had arrived.

ring up + about + topic

Use 'about' to introduce the subject of the phone call.

She rang up about the booking she'd made last week.

Common Collocations

ring someone up laterring the office upring Mum upring a friend upring up to ask/checkring up about something

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'me', 'him', or 'them', it must go between 'ring' and 'up'. Placing it after 'up' is ungrammatical in English.

✗ I'll ring up her later tonight.
✓ I'll ring her up later tonight.
Confusing 'ring up' with 'ring back'

'Ring back' means to return a call that someone has already made to you. 'Ring up' is simply to telephone someone — it doesn't suggest you're returning a previous call.

✗ She left a message, so I rang up her. (when you mean to return the call)
✓ She left a message, so I rang her back.
Using the continuous form

'Ring up' sounds unnatural in continuous tenses. If you need a continuous form, use 'call' instead.

✗ I'm ringing you up to check if you're okay.
✓ I'm calling to check if you're okay. / I'll ring you up to check if you're okay.

Usage

This is a British English expression — American English speakers say 'call' instead. In BrE, 'ring up' and 'ring' (without 'up') mean the same thing, so both are correct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ring up' only used in British English?

Yes, it's strongly associated with British and Irish English, and is also used in Australian and New Zealand English. American English speakers would almost always say 'call' instead. If you're writing for an international or American audience, 'call' is the safer choice.

Is there a difference between 'ring up' and just 'ring'?

In British English, no — they mean the same thing. You can say 'I'll ring you later' or 'I'll ring you up later' and both are equally correct. The 'up' doesn't add any extra meaning.

Can 'ring up' be used in the passive, like 'I was rung up'?

It's grammatically possible, but it sounds very awkward and is almost never used in natural British English. Speakers nearly always use the active form, such as 'She rang me up' rather than 'I was rung up by her'.

Does 'ring up' have a different meaning in American English?

Yes — in American English, 'ring up' usually means to process a sale on a cash register, like a cashier scanning your shopping. This is completely unrelated to the British English meaning of making a phone call. Context will usually make it clear which meaning is intended.

Is 'ring up' becoming old-fashioned?

It's still widely used and understood across all age groups in the UK, but younger British speakers are increasingly using 'call' or 'phone' instead. 'Ring up' sounds natural and is not incorrect — it just has a slightly traditional feel compared to 'call'.

Related Phrasal Verbs

call sb up

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