Catchup vs. Ketchup — Which is Correct Spelling?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 30, 2024
Catchup is the incorrect spelling of ketchup, which is a tangy sauce made primarily from tomatoes.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Catchup or Ketchup
How to spell Ketchup?
Catchup
Incorrect Spelling
Ketchup
Correct Spelling
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Key Differences
Remember that 'catch' is an action and unrelated to the tomato sauce.
Ketchup starts with a 'K', similar to other kitchen items like knife or kettle.
Think of the 'etch' in ketchup, which sounds like etch, a method of marking or engraving, as ketchup leaves a strong impression (taste).
How Do You Spell Ketchup Correctly?
Incorrect: She accidentally spilled catchup on the table.
Correct: She accidentally spilled ketchup on the table.
Incorrect: This burger needs some catchup.
Correct: This burger needs some ketchup.
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Incorrect: He used too much catchup on his fries.
Correct: He used too much ketchup on his fries.
Incorrect: Do we need to buy more catchup?
Correct: Do we need to buy more ketchup?
Incorrect: I don't like too much catchup on my sandwich.
Correct: I don't like too much ketchup on my sandwich.
Ketchup Definitions
A sweet and tangy sauce made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices:
He topped his hamburger with a generous amount of ketchup.
A staple in many households around the world:
There's always a bottle of ketchup in the refrigerator.
Often used as a condiment in various foods:
Ketchup is a popular topping for fries.
Can be made in different flavors by adding ingredients like hot peppers or onions:
She tried a new spicy ketchup recipe.
A common ingredient in various recipes:
Ketchup is used in the meatloaf to add moisture and flavor.
Ketchup is a table condiment. The unmodified term ("ketchup") now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although original recipes used egg whites, mushrooms, oysters, grapes, mussels, or walnuts, among other ingredients.Tomato ketchup is a sweet and tangy condiment made from tomatoes, sugar, and vinegar, with seasonings and spices.
A spicy sauce made chiefly from tomatoes and vinegar, used as a relish.
A condiment consisting of a thick, smooth-textured, spicy sauce usually made from tomatoes.
(uncountable) A tomato-vinegar-based sauce, sometimes containing spices, onion or garlic, and (especially in the US) sweeteners.
Tomato ketchup
This diner serves ketchup in red bottles, and mustard in yellow ones.
Such a sauce more generally (not necessarily based on tomatoes, but with mushrooms, fish, etc.).
(transitive) To cover with ketchup.
A pureed table sauce made predominantly from tomatoes, flavored with onions, sugar, salt and spices; called also tomato ketchup. The term is also applied to pureed sauces containing mushrooms, walnuts, etc., being called in such cases mushroom ketchup, walnut ketchup, etc.
Thick spicy sauce made from tomatoes
Ketchup Meaning in a Sentence
She always buys organic ketchup.
She squeezed the ketchup bottle but nothing came out.
They ran out of ketchup at the picnic.
The ketchup bottle was almost empty.
Can you pass the ketchup, please?
Is there any ketchup left in the fridge?
He likes a little ketchup with his scrambled eggs.
The new restaurant offers three types of ketchup.
They used ketchup in the marinade for the ribs.
His favorite type of ketchup is the one with added garlic.
He mixed mustard and ketchup to make a special sauce.
The ketchup stain on his tie wouldn't come out.
The ketchup had spilled inside the grocery bag.
She made her own ketchup using fresh tomatoes.
They gave us so many ketchup packets with our order.
She prefers ketchup over other condiments.
The diner has a ketchup dispenser at every table.
He accidentally got ketchup on his shirt.
Can you add ketchup to the shopping list?
He always puts ketchup on his hot dogs.
He made a smiley face on his plate with ketchup.
The kids love ketchup with their chicken nuggets.
She put too much ketchup on her plate.
I don't like my fries without ketchup.
She found an old ketchup packet in her drawer.
Ketchup Idioms & Phrases
Like ketchup on everything
Referring to someone who uses the same solution in various situations.
He's like ketchup on everything, always using the same strategy for different projects.
Ketchup and mustard
Often used to describe a classic or standard combination, especially in food.
The hot dog stand offered just ketchup and mustard as condiments.
To cut the ketchup
To get to the point, skipping over unnecessary details.
The manager told her team to cut the ketchup and focus on the essentials during meetings.
Playing ketchup
A playful pun on 'catch up', meaning trying to match or exceed someone.
After a week on vacation, he was playing ketchup at work.
Ketchup bottle effect
Describes a situation where nothing comes out, and then suddenly a lot comes out all at once.
After a slow start, the team experienced the ketchup bottle effect and scored several goals quickly.
Common Curiosities
How is ketchup used in a sentence?
She added ketchup to her fries.
How many syllables are in ketchup?
There are two syllables in ketchup.
What is a stressed syllable in ketchup?
The first syllable 'ket' is stressed in ketchup.
How do we divide ketchup into syllables?
Ketchup is divided as ket-chup.
What is another term for ketchup?
Another term for ketchup is catsup.
Why is it called ketchup?
Ketchup is derived from Chinese or Malay words related to a fish sauce, evolving over time to the tomato-based version we know today.
What part of speech is ketchup?
Ketchup is a noun.
What is the opposite of ketchup?
An opposite might be a condiment that isn't sweet or tangy, like mayonnaise.
Is ketchup a noun or adjective?
Ketchup is a noun.
What is the verb form of ketchup?
Ketchup does not have a verb form; it's a noun.
What is the root word of ketchup?
The root word of ketchup comes from the Chinese or Malay languages.
Is ketchup an adverb?
No, ketchup is not an adverb.
Is the word ketchup Gerund?
No, ketchup is a noun, not a gerund.
What is the pronunciation of ketchup?
Ketchup is pronounced as /ˈkɛtʃəp/.
What is the plural form of ketchup?
The plural form is ketchups.
Is the word “ketchup” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Ketchup can be a direct object as in "I bought ketchup."
Which vowel is used before ketchup?
Typically, a vowel is not specifically used before the word ketchup.
Which conjunction is used with ketchup?
Conjunctions like "and" are commonly used with ketchup, especially when listing foods.
Which article is used with ketchup?
Both "the" and "a" can be used with ketchup, depending on the context.
What is the singular form of ketchup?
The singular form is ketchup.
Is ketchup a collective noun?
No, ketchup is not a collective noun.
Is the word ketchup imperative?
No, ketchup cannot be imperative as it is a noun.
Is ketchup an abstract noun?
No, ketchup is a concrete noun.
Is ketchup a negative or positive word?
Ketchup is generally neutral but can be positive depending on personal taste.
Is ketchup a vowel or consonant?
The word ketchup starts with a consonant.
Is ketchup a countable noun?
Ketchup is generally uncountable, but it can be countable when referring to types or brands.
Is the ketchup term a metaphor?
Ketchup itself is not a metaphor but can be used metaphorically in expressions like "ketchup bottle effect".
Which determiner is used with ketchup?
Determiners such as "some" or "the" are used with ketchup.
Which preposition is used with ketchup?
Common prepositions used with ketchup include "on" and "with".
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
