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ring up — telephone someone

phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional

to call someone on the phone.

Say it like a native

Textbook I shall place a telephone call to her later.

Native I'll ring her up later.

'Place a telephone call' is formal; 'ring up' is the casual British way to say phone.

Pattern: ring up + object (person)

In use

  • I'll ring you up later to discuss the details.communication
  • If I need help with my homework, I usually ring up my friend and ask for advice.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ I'll ring up to her.

✓ I'll ring her up.

'Ring someone up' (pronoun in the middle) — no 'to'.

Common collocations

  • ring someone up — ring up, ring her up, give them a ring, ring me

Don't confuse it

Do not confuse with 'ring up' meaning 'to record a sale on a cash register' (mainly in shops).

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