Arrive vs Turn up

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Arrive

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 verb

Turn up

Top 2,000 (common)

Most common: Arrive

	Arrive	Turn up
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/əˈraɪv/","/əˈraɪvz/","/əˈraɪvd/","/əˈraɪvɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/əˈraɪv/","/əˈraɪvz/","/əˈraɪvd/","/əˈraɪvɪŋ/"]/	🇬🇧 //tɜːn ʌp// 🇺🇸 //tɜrn ʌp//
Meaning	To reach a place that you were going to.	To arrive or increase in volume or intensity.
Example	We will arrive at the airport by noon.	I hope more people will turn up to the meeting.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A1	-
Part of speech	verb
Collocations	early, late, shortly, be due to, fail to, at, in, the first to arrive, the last to arrive, early, late, shortly, be due to, fail to, at, in, the first to arrive, the last to arrive	turn up the volume, turn up late, turn up the heat
Antonyms	depart, leave	turn down, diminish, reduce
Common mistakes	Confusing 'arrive at' with 'arrive in'., Using 'arrived to' instead of 'arrived at/in'.	Using 'turn up' in place of 'arrive' without context., Confusing 'turn up' with 'turn down' when referring to volume., Forgetting to use the object after 'turn up' in some phrases.
Usage notes	Use 'arrive at' for specific locations (e.g., 'arrive at the airport') and 'arrive in' for larger areas (e.g., 'arrive in Paris'). Avoid using in very formal contexts; consider synonyms like 'reach' instead.	Common in spoken English, suitable for informal and neutral contexts. Use with caution in formal settings.

See it in real clips

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

That fellow's done nothing but stare at you since we arrived.

Arrive

The Sopranos › S1 E1

They hope maybe he'll turn up... if.

Turn up

Frequently asked questions: Arrive vs Turn up

What's the difference between Arrive and Turn up?

Arrive: To reach a place that you were going to. Turn up: To arrive or increase in volume or intensity.

Which is more common: Arrive and Turn up?

Arrive is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Arrive: We will arrive at the airport by noon. Turn up: I hope more people will turn up to the meeting.

Can I use Arrive and Turn up interchangeably?

Not always. Arrive and Turn up are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.