# How to Say "write-up" at Work > A written document or report that summarizes information, findings, or conclusions about a project, meeting, incident, or technical topic. - **Term:** write-up - **Part of speech:** noun - **Pronunciation:** /ˈraɪt.ʌp/ - **English level (CEFR):** B2 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Meeting phrases](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/meeting-phrases.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/write-up - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning A written document or report that summarizes information, findings, or conclusions about a project, meeting, incident, or technical topic. It is a concise formal record created for reference or communication. In tech workplaces, a write-up is a common deliverable used to document decisions, meeting outcomes, incident analyses, or project updates. Engineers and managers create write-ups to ensure all stakeholders have a clear, written record of what happened, what was decided, or what needs to be done next. Write-ups are typically shared via email, internal wikis, or project management tools. They differ from longer reports in that they are usually concise and focused on key points rather than comprehensive detail. A write-up might follow a meeting, a critical bug discovery, a code review session, or the completion of a technical investigation. ## When you hear it After the incident, the on-call engineer prepared a detailed write-up for the team. ## Examples - **in a standup:** "I published a write-up on yesterday's deployment issue. Please review it and comment with questions." - **in a code review:** "The architect sent a write-up explaining why we chose this design pattern over alternatives." - **in a team meeting:** "Can someone create a write-up of the action items we discussed today?" ## What native speakers say - "Can you send me a write-up of that meeting?" - "I will write up the findings by end of day." - "We need a write-up on what went wrong." ## Common mistakes - ✗ "I will write-up the meeting notes." → ✓ "I will write up the meeting notes. OR I will create a write-up of the meeting." (Write-up as a noun should be preceded by an article or verb; using it after a verb requires it to be two words (write up, not write-up).) - ✗ "Please send the write-up document." → ✓ "Please send the write-up." (Write-up already implies a document, so adding document is redundant.) - ✗ "This write-up is very speaking." → ✓ "This write-up is very detailed or comprehensive." (Write-ups are written documents, not spoken content; use written descriptors instead.) ## Be careful Do not confuse write-up (a document) with writing-up (discipline). Write-up as a noun refers to documentation; it is not typically used as a verb in tech contexts. ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | noun | write-up | The write-up explains the root cause of the outage. | | verb phrase | write up | I need to write up my findings before the meeting. | ## Collocations - **detailed write-up**: A comprehensive write-up with thorough information - **post-mortem write-up**: A write-up that documents what happened after an incident - **meeting write-up**: A summary document created after a meeting - **send a write-up**: To share or distribute a write-up to others - **review the write-up**: To read and check a write-up for accuracy ## Synonyms - **summary**: More general; can be verbal or written - **report**: Often longer and more formal than a write-up - **documentation**: Broader term; write-up is a specific type of document - **memo**: Similar in formality; memo often shorter and more directive ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/write-up ## FAQ ### What is a write-up in a tech company? A write-up is a written summary or document that records information about a meeting, incident, project, or technical decision. It serves as an official record that team members can reference later. ### How do you use write-up in a sentence? Use write-up as a noun: I will send you a write-up of the findings. Use write up as a verb phrase: I need to write up the meeting notes. ### Is write-up formal or informal? Write-up is neutral in formality. It is used in both casual team communications and more formal documentation, depending on context. ### What is the difference between a write-up and a report? A write-up is typically shorter and more focused on key points, while a report is often longer and more detailed. Write-ups are common in day-to-day tech work; reports are usually more formal. ### When should you create a write-up? Create a write-up after meetings, incidents, completed investigations, design decisions, or any situation where you need to provide a clear written record for your team. ## Related - [post-mortem](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/post-mortem.md) - [documentation](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/documentation.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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