Backup and Back up? What’s the Difference?

We all use the word Backup. Or is it Back Up?

·       Are they identical, both equally right and acceptable?

·       Is one spelled correctly and the other simply wrong?

·       Do they have separate meanings?

·       Do they belong to different parts of speech?

This article will answer these questions, compare the two words, and provide examples. Let's get started. 

1. The word "Backup"

The one-word “backup” is both a noun and an adjective.

“Backup” as a noun:

What is a noun?

When a word is being used as a noun, you can place the words “a,” “an,” or “the” in front of it: for example, “a backup of water, "the backup of water."

If the word is being used as a noun, it is usually spelled “backup.”

Definition:

The noun “backup” is used to refer to a second copy of something, an extra that is made and kept for security purposes in case something happens to the original.

·       “Backups” are created on our computers and on our phones to protect against the loss of data. We make sure that we create a “backup” of our important documents, a hard copy, just to be on the safe side. For example: “My phone does an automatic backup every five days.”

·       We often bring “backup” with us when we are doing something difficult, when we want physical or moral support. For example: “The police backup arrived two minutes after the call was placed.”

·       The noun “backup” can also mean an overflow or a stoppage. There can be a backup in traffic, or a backup in your kitchen drain when the water will not go down, or a backup in the sewer system on your street. For example: “The plumber arrived in the morning to fix the backup of water in the sink.”

“Backup” as an adjective:

What is an adjective?

When a word is being used as an adjective, it is telling us about the noun, itself: for example, “a beautiful landscape,” “a rural landscape,” “an ugly landscape” – “beautiful,” “rural,” and “ugly” are all adjectives.

If the word is being used as an adjective, it is usually spelled “backup.”

Definition:

The adjective “backup” is used to modify a noun. (It is occasionally spelled with a hyphen, “back-up,” when used as an adjective.)  It means that something is secondary or being used in addition to or as a support to the original.

We often have a “backup” plan, a plan B, so that we have an alternative if something changes - here, the adjective “backup” is modifying the word “plan.”  

We keep a “backup” generator in our house in case our electricity fails: here we see the adjective “backup” is modifying the noun “generator.” For example: “I brought a set of backup clothes in case I got dirty during the game.”

The adjective “backup” can also be used in music to refer to other instruments that are added to accompany the main instrument or melody. For example: “She got her start in music singing backup vocals.”

2. The Phrase "Back Up"

The two-word "back up" is a verb phrase.

What is a verb phrase?

When a verb phrase is being used, then one of the words in the phrase can be conjugated as a verb: for example, in the two-word “back up,” the word “back” can be conjugated as a verb - “to back up, backing up, backed up…” 

If a word in the phrase is being conjugated as a verb, it is a verb phrase, and it is usually spelled with two words – “back up.”

Definition:

The two-word verb phrase “back up” means to go backward, to move in reverse, or to retreat. For example, “Please back up the car so that I can park mine in front of you.”

In specific instances, the two-word verb phrase “back up” is used in the same way as the one-word “backup.” 

For example:

·       To “back up” means to support something or someone, to give them extra strength. For example, “Good managers will always back up their employees.”

·       To “back up” can also mean to make an extra copy of important information. For example, “I was dismayed to find that my automatic back up on my computer had not activated.”

Final Thoughts

Let’s summarize what we have discussed today:

The words “backup” and “back up” are used in different parts of speech: usually, “backup” is either a noun or an adjective, and “back up” is usually a verb phrase.

In answer to the questions that we asked at the beginning:

·       These two terms have different meanings.

·       These two terms are from different parts of speech.

·       These two terms are both correct, each in its own place.

Can you make five sentences using both “backup” and “back up” correctly in context? Give it a try!