Follow-up vs. Follow Up vs. Followup
“Follow up” is the phrasal verb for taking further action or investigating, while “follow-up” is the noun or adjective for a later connected action, question, visit, or similar item. Closed “followup” is not the form used in the reviewed Cambridge entry.
Use “follow up” as a verb (“I’ll follow up tomorrow”). Use “follow-up” as a noun or adjective (“a follow-up call”). The reviewed Cambridge entry does not use closed “followup” as the standard general form.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Function | Form | Example pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | follow up | follow up on a request / follow up tomorrow |
| Noun | follow-up | schedule a follow-up |
| Adjective | follow-up | a follow-up question |
| Closed form in ordinary general prose | followup | Not the standard general form in the reviewed Cambridge evidence. |
Quick tests
Part-of-speech test
Can the expression take an object or “on” as an action you perform?
If yes: Use the two-word verb “follow up.”
If no: If it names or modifies a later connected action, use hyphenated “follow-up.”
Caveat: Product names, identifiers, or required house styles can preserve a closed form without changing the general rule.
Examples
I’ll follow up with the supplier tomorrow.
The two-word form is a verb.
We scheduled a follow-up call for Friday.
The hyphenated form modifies the noun “call.”
Further guidance
Closed Form Boundary
For general edited English, the reviewed dictionary evidence supports “follow-up” rather than “followup” for noun/adjective use. Closed “followup” may appear in product names, identifiers, or house styles, but this guide does not treat those as a universal spelling rule.
Core difference
Use “follow up” as the verb. Use hyphenated “follow-up” as the noun or adjective in the reviewed Cambridge entry.
Fast Test
If you can add an object—“follow up the lead” or “follow up on the request”—use the two-word verb. If you mean a later action or meeting, use “follow-up.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Follow something up — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary record distinguishing follow up as a phrasal verb from follow-up as noun/adjective