Grammar fix
slip up
make a mistake
To make a small mistake, usually by accident or carelessness.
phrasal verbB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
I slipped up and sent the email to the wrong person.
In my last job interview, I slipped up when I forgot the company's name, which was a bit embarrassing.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I slipped up a mistake.
Say: I slipped up.
'Slip up' already means make a mistake — don't add 'a mistake'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Slip up' is the everyday way to admit a small mistake; 'committed an error' is formal.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
slip up + context
- badly
- once
- on the details
- somewhere