Payout vs. Pay-out vs. Pay Out
“Payout” is a noun for an amount of money paid to someone; Cambridge Business English also records “pay-out.” “Pay out” is the two-word phrasal verb for paying money.
Use “payout” for the noun in general use; “pay-out” is also documented in Business English. Use “pay out” for the verb.
Key details
Choose the right form
| If you mean / need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| an amount of money paid | payout / pay-out | “Payout” is standard; Cambridge also records “pay-out” in Business English. |
| the action of paying money | pay out | The phrasal verb is written as two words. |
Further guidance
Core difference
Use the noun or modifier form documented by the dictionaries when naming a thing, event, result, or concept; use the spaced form when the words function as a verb.
Fast Test
If the expression can take ordinary verb tense or inflection in the sentence, the spaced phrasal-verb form is usually the relevant form.
Variant Boundary
Cambridge records the noun “payout” and also the Business English noun variant “pay-out,” while the phrasal verb remains “pay out.”
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.
- PAYOUT — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Noun “payout”; Business English also records the hyphenated noun “pay-out”
- PAY (SOMETHING) OUT — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Two-word phrasal verb “pay out” for paying money