wake up to
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Main stress lands on the first particle: wake UP to. The trailing “to” reduces almost to nothing — expect a schwa, not a full vowel.
Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “wake” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “wake up” is said “wa-kup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
What it means
To finally become aware of a reality you had been ignoring.
- “The industry is slowly waking up to the problem.”
Similar: realise, face up to