# count up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/count-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to add a group of things or people together to find the total number.

For teachers: to calculate the sum of a collection of items or individuals by enumerating them one by one.

## Examples

- The teacher counts up the students before the bus leaves.
- At the end of the night, the shop owner counts up the money in the register to check the profits.
- After the ballots were collected, the committee spent several hours counting up the votes to ensure the final tally was perfectly accurate.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He counts up of the coins." but "He counts up the coins." — the verb is transitive and takes the object directly without the preposition 'of'.

## Usage notes

- often used when you have a physical pile of things to check.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'count on' (to rely) or 'count down' (to wait for an event); 'count up' emphasizes the process of reaching a total.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.