turn up — increase volume or heat
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To make something, such as the sound, heat, or light, stronger or louder by adjusting a control.
Say it like a native
Textbook Could you increase the volume of the music?
Native Can you turn the music up?
'Turn up' is the everyday verb for raising volume or heat; 'increase the volume' is formal.
Pattern: turn up [object]
In use
- Can you turn up the radio? I can’t hear the song.daily life
- When I study, I usually turn up the volume on my headphones to block out background noise.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Turn up it, I love this song.
✓ Turn it up, I love this song.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'turn it up'.
Common collocations
turn up + control— the music, the heating, the volume, the brightness
Don't confuse it
'Turn up' is the opposite of 'turn down', which means to make something quieter or less strong.
Related
- turn up (arrive unexpectedly) — Another meaning of 'turn up' is 'arrive unexpectedly'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.