Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

1-up

/wɒn ʌp/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.85 in modern English

Syllables: 1-up
IPA: /wɒn ʌp/

4

Scrabble Score

2

Letters

2

Syllables

2

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An item that grants the player an extra life in the game, staving off game over by one more try.

noun

In a game with multiple players, an indicator or identifier of player 1.

Example Sentences

"Before any player registers points, the PAC-MAN scoring table displays in white "1 UP" and "2 UP" where the scores will appear."
"This is the players turn (1-up or 2-up)"

Etymology

"Extra life" sense borrowed from Japanese 1UP(ワンアップ) (wan'appu) and perhaps popularized by Super Mario Bros. (1985); but the term existed earlier in multi-player pinball and other arcade games in the 1960s, where "1Up" and "2Up" were used as flashing notifications to indicate who would play next (or who was "up" next in order). See https://www.inverse.com/gaming/1up-meaning-origin-definition-gaming.

Origin

Source language: Japanese

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /wɒn ʌp/

Inflected Forms

1-ups (plural) one-up (alternative)

Phrases

2-up

Questions

How do you pronounce 1-up?: The recorded pronunciation is /wɒn ʌp/.
What does 1-up mean?: An item that grants the player an extra life in the game, staving off game over by one more try.
Where does 1-up come from?: It is traced to Japanese.

How to pronounce 1-up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “1-up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/wɒn ʌp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “1-up”.
Repeat and practice — Say “1-up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.