Commonly confused
Write up vs Write down
“Write up” and “Write down” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is the quick way to tell them apart — with examples, the mistake to avoid, and a check.
Which one do you mean?
Up means a full written report; down means a quick note. Write up means produce a finished account; write down means note something quickly.
Write up
Produce a full, finished written version of something.
Write down
Note something quickly so you don't forget it.
write up
- 1
Write a full or formal account of something
Correct use
“He wrote up his notes as a report.”
He turned his notes into a full written report.
write down
- 1
Record information on paper so it can be remembered
Correct use
“Leo wrote down the shop opening times while he and Maya planned at the shopping centre cafe.”
Leo recorded the shop opening times at the cafe.
Common mistake
Let me write up your number before I forget.
Let me write down your number before I forget.
A quick note = write down.
Test yourself
“He wrote up his notes as a report.” What does it mean?
Sink In — iOS & Android
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic instead of a guess.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
