pick up on
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Main stress lands on the first particle: pick UP on. The trailing “on” reduces almost to nothing — expect a schwa, not a full vowel.
Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “pick” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “pick up” is said “pi-ckup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
What it means
To notice something subtle.
- “You could pick up on the meaning of each word.”
- “She picked up on the tension immediately.”
Similar: notice, detect