Pickup vs pick up
Pickup is a noun, such as a light truck or the act of collecting someone or something. It is one word (British English often writes pick-up). Pick up is two words and a verb that means to lift, collect, or go and get someone.
A noun (a pickup, school pickup) is one word. The verb (picks up, picked up, pick the kids up) is two.
pickup noun
A light truck with an open back, or the act of coming to collect someone or something.
- He tossed his tools into the back of the pickup and drove to the job site.
- Trash pickup in our neighborhood moved from Monday to Tuesday.
pick up verb
To lift something, to collect something on the way somewhere, or to go and get someone in a vehicle.
- She stopped to pick up the tickets at the box office.
- A taxi picked us up at the airport.
Watch out
- They do not sound quite the same. In pickup the stress falls on pick. In pick up the stress falls on up.
- Pick up has many other verb meanings, such as to answer the phone, to learn something, or to improve. All of them are two words.She let the phone ring four times before she picked up.
- A casual game played by whoever shows up is a pickup game, one word. This use is mainly American.He spent his twenties playing pickup basketball on outdoor courts all over the city.
Test yourself
Can you blank the kids from school today?
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pick up. It is an action, going to get someone, so use two words.
School blank starts at three o'clock.
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pickup. This names the time when children are collected, so it is the noun.
Please blank your toys before dinner.
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pick up. It is something you do, lifting the toys and putting them away, so use the two-word verb.
He loaded the old sofa into the back of his blank.
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pickup. After his you need a noun, here the truck.