What's the difference between 'fill up', 'fill out' and 'fill in'?

Fill up, fill out and fill in are phrasal verbs. That's a verb + a particle (a preposition or an adverb). All three use 'fill', which means 'put something in an empty space'. 

These expressions are commonly confused by English learners.

Meaning:

1. Fill up –.(mainly of a fuel tank) to make full; to become full

2. Fill out – (transitive) often means 'complete a form or document', usually one where blank spaces have been provided for you write in.

3. Fill in – (transitive) to complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. It can also mean to put material into a hole, trench, or space so that it is completely full.

  • So we see that “fill in” and “fill out” can be interchanged that means to complete a questionnaire, survey or form with the necessary information. 

  • However, "fill in" can be similar to “fill up” that means to make something full.

  • “Fill up” cannot be used to mean “complete a form”. The appropriate expression to use with a form is “fill in” or “fill out” (even though “in” and “out” are opposites, “fill in” and “fill out” both have the same meaning in this context).

Example Sentences

1. Fill up

  • "I need to fill up my car.
  • "I filled the car up with fuel. "
  • "There's plenty of food. Fill yourself up."
  • "The restaurant began to fill up with people."
  • "Fill up my glass with beer, please."


2. Fill out


  • "If you want to join the gym, please fill out this form."
  • "Once you have found a domain name that is available, go ahead and fill out the Registration form and contact information as required."
  • "To book a group tour you simply fill out an online form and a representative will get in touch via email to confirm your reservation and address any questions you may have about the tour."
  • You can fill out the application online, over the phone, or through the mail.


3. Fill in

  • "Don't use pencil or colored pens to fill in the form."
  • "The next step in writing a letter or a memo is to fill in the body of the communication."
  • "You can fill in the blanks with quick picks or use the wheel to pick your lucky numbers."
Fill in can also mean to act as a substitute for someone when they are unable to do their job.

  • "Clarissa could fill in until someone could be hired."
  • "I'm not her regular secretary - I'm just filling in."
  • "The gym teacher was sick today, so a substitute filled in for her."

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