Follow Up, Follow-Up, or Followup | Correct Spelling
Follow up is the correct spelling when used as a verb (e.g., “Let’s follow up on this tomorrow”), while follow-up is the correct spelling when used as a noun (e.g., “I attended a follow-up”) or an adjective (e.g., “I sent a follow-up email”).
Followup is considered incorrect and should not be used. A Quillbot grammar check can help ensure your writing is free of this and other errors.
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| Follow up (verb) | I sent several emails to follow up on our most recent conversation. |
| Follow-up (noun) | My doctor asked that I schedule a follow-up within two weeks. |
| Follow-up (adjective) | We had a follow-up meeting to discuss all the progress that has been made. |
Follow up
“Follow up” is a phrasal verb (i.e., a verb composed of two or more words) that has two main uses. It can mean “to further look into or find out more information about something.” In this case, it’s usually followed by the preposition “on” (e.g., “follow up on the status”).
“Follow up” can also mean “to add to something that was just done with something related or supplementary.” In this manner, it’s typically followed by “with” (e.g., “follow up with a question”).
Follow up on the recently published news report.
Jeremy followed up the speech with a Q&A session.
I wanted to follow up with a closing statement.
Follow-up
“Follow-up” (written with a hyphen) can function as both a noun and an adjective.
As a noun, “follow-up” refers to a continuing action that occurs after something else. For example, after an initial consultation, a doctor may ask that you schedule a follow-up within two weeks.
As an adjective, “follow-up” has a related meaning and describes something that happens after something similar. Continuing with the same example found above, the doctor can be more specific and request that you schedule a follow-up appointment.
| Follow-up as a noun | Follow-up as an adjective |
|---|---|
| Dimitri scheduled a follow-up with the CEO. | Dimitri scheduled a follow-up meeting with the CEO. |
| We had a follow-up to resolve all the lingering issues. | We had a follow-up discussion to resolve all the lingering issues. |
| The follow-up confirmed that I would be relocated to a different office. | The follow-up email confirmed that I would be relocated to a different office. |
Followup
“Followup” is considered incorrect, though it is not completely uncommon to come across this spelling. Most authoritative dictionaries, like Merriam-Webster and Oxford, don’t list this option as a variant.
However, it’s worth noting that many compound words start as open or hyphenated compounds and eventually become closed (i.e., written as a single word without a space), such as “web site” and “website.” Although we may be experiencing the early signs of this happening, it’s best to avoid using “followup” in your writing.
- The consultant asked if I needed a follow-up.
- The consultant asked if I needed a followup.
- Please schedule a follow-up interview.
- Please schedule a followup interview.
Frequently asked questions about follow up, follow-up, or followup
- What is a follow up email?
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A follow-up email is an email in which the sender is reaching out to someone who has already been contacted to inquire about or request further information about something.
For example, it’s common to write a follow-up email a few days after submitting an application to ask about its current status.
