AAAmerican Accent US

keep on

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: keep ON. Saying “KEEP on” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /p/ of “keep” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “keep on” is said “kee-pon”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

What it means

  1. To continue doing something.

    • “Keep on going — the top is closer than it looks.”
    • “He kept on asking until I answered.”

    Similar: continue, carry on

The particle logic

on

Something starts running, keeps running, or sits on a surface.

Listen + practice

Hear “keep on” spoken naturally

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Read the sentence aloud. Keep the stress on the particle and run the two words together — we’ll score every sound and flag what to work on.

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More KEEP phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

keep up

To maintain a pace or a standard.

keep up with

To stay level with someone or something moving forward.

keep out

To stay outside, or to prevent something from entering.

keep away

To stay at a distance from something.

keep back

To withhold information or money.

keep to

To adhere to a plan, rule or route.

keep on — meaning, examples & how to say it