Quick answer: Use “coming” when describing physical movement toward a destination or a general future time period (like “the coming year”). Use “upcoming” strictly as an adjective for scheduled events, releases, or appointments that are happening soon (like “the upcoming conference”).
English speakers constantly mix up these two words because they both point to the future, but they operate on entirely different grammatical and spatial rules. The confusion usually stems from corporate jargon bleeding into everyday conversation, leading writers to slap “upcoming” onto sentences where a simple verb form is actually required.
| Term | Meaning / When to use | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Coming | The present participle of “to come.” Use it for physical motion toward a speaker, or as a general adjective/noun for an approaching time period. | “I am coming to the office early tomorrow to prepare for the coming week.” |
| Upcoming | Strictly an adjective. Use it for scheduled events, releases, or milestones that are happening soon, without implying physical travel. | “Please review the budget for the upcoming fiscal quarter before the board meeting.” |
When to use coming
As a veteran copy editor who has corrected this exact mistake in thousands of manuscripts, cover letters, and corporate memos, I can tell you that “coming” is a grammatical shapeshifter. Most fundamentally, it is the present participle of the verb “to come.” This means it inherently carries the DNA of physical motion. If a person, vehicle, or object is actively traveling toward a specific destination—especially toward the speaker or the focal point of the narrative—”coming” is the only correct choice. You would never say “I am upcoming to your house,” because you are physically moving through space.
However, “coming” also functions perfectly well as an adjective and even a noun when referring to broad, approaching time periods. We say “the coming year,” “the coming months,” or “the coming of age.” In these contexts, time is treated metaphorically as a physical force moving toward us. We also use it as a noun in phrases like “the coming of spring” or “the coming of the digital revolution,” where the word acts as a heavyweight conceptual anchor. The rule of thumb I enforce with my clients is simple: if the subject is capable of locomotion, or if you are referencing a massive, sweeping block of time, stick with “coming.”
Here are three realistic examples showing how to use it correctly in professional and personal contexts:
- The Job Application (Cover Letter): “I am coming to the end of my current contract and am eager to bring my project management skills to your team.” (Correct: Describes a process or state arriving at a conclusion, rooted in the verb form).
- The Professional Email: “With the coming changes to the tax code, our accounting department needs to audit all Q3 expenses immediately.” (Correct: Refers to a broad, approaching era or time period).
- The Casual Text Message: “Are you coming to the off-site retreat next Friday, or are you working remotely?” (Correct: Asks about physical travel to a location).
Notice how in the email example, “coming changes” sounds perfectly natural. It implies that the changes are rolling in like a tide. But if you tried to apply this to a highly specific, scheduled calendar event, the sentence starts to feel slightly clunky, which brings us to our second term.
When to use upcoming
“Upcoming” is a much more rigid word. It is strictly an adjective, and it has no verb form. You cannot “upcoming” anywhere. According to Upcoming, the term gained significant traction in the mid-20th century, particularly in American English, to describe events scheduled for the near future without the spatial baggage of physical movement. It sits statically on a timeline. It does not imply that the event is traveling toward you; it simply exists on the calendar ahead of you.
I see this error constantly in marketing copy and event invitations. Writers will say, “We are upcoming a new product launch,” which is grammatically disastrous. You must use “upcoming” to modify a noun that represents a scheduled occurrence: an election, a conference, a movie release, a software update, or a holiday. It pairs almost exclusively with administrative or scheduled nouns: upcoming audit, upcoming merger, upcoming software patch. It is the preferred term in formal, corporate, and publishing contexts because it sounds organized and deliberate. It tells the reader, “This is on the schedule, and it is happening soon.”
Here are three realistic examples showing the correct application of “upcoming” in professional writing:
- The Event Invitation: “We are thrilled to announce our upcoming webinar on search engine optimization strategies for small businesses.” (Correct: Modifies a scheduled event).
- The Publishing Press Release: “The author will be doing a book tour to promote her upcoming historical fiction novel, which hits shelves in October.” (Correct: Modifies a scheduled release).
- The Internal Corporate Memo: “All department heads must submit their headcount requests for the upcoming fiscal year by the 15th of this month.” (Correct: Modifies a scheduled administrative cycle).
The distinction becomes incredibly clear when you look at the “is it moving?” test. A webinar isn’t physically walking toward you. A novel isn’t driving down the highway to your house. They are just sitting on a future date, waiting for you to arrive at that date. Therefore, “upcoming” is the precise, editorial-grade choice.
How to remember the difference
Linguists and philosophers have debated the Meaning of words for centuries, but in practical editing, meaning is defined by how a reader instantly processes a sentence without stumbling. When you use “coming” for a static calendar event, you force the reader’s brain to process spatial movement that isn’t actually there. To prevent this cognitive speedbump, I teach my junior editors a simple, two-part memory trick that works every single time.
First, use the “Up the Calendar” trick. Look at the word “upcoming.” It contains the word “up.” When you are planning your schedule, you look up the dates on a calendar, or you scroll up your phone’s feed to see what is scheduled next. If you can physically point to the event on a planner or a digital calendar, use “upcoming.” It is a static pin on a timeline. “Coming” requires a map; “upcoming” requires a calendar.
Second, use the “Locomotion” trick. Look at the word “coming.” It contains the word “come,” which is a verb of physical movement. Ask yourself: “Does this subject have legs, wheels, or an engine? Is it physically traveling from Point A to Point B?” If the answer is yes, you must use “coming.” You are coming to the party. The train is coming to the station. The storm is coming to the coast. None of these things are just sitting on a calendar; they are actively moving through space.
If you are ever stuck in the middle of drafting an important email and you freeze, just ask: Is it traveling, or is it just scheduled? Traveling equals coming. Scheduled equals upcoming. This binary test will save you from 99% of the grammatical errors I see in professional correspondence.
Common mistakes and exceptions
Even with a solid grasp of the rules, writers frequently trip over a few specific edge cases, particularly when corporate jargon, regional dialects, and hyphenated idioms enter the mix.
The most rampant mistake is the “Upcoming Week” vs. “Coming Week” debate. Strictly speaking, both “the coming week” and “the upcoming week” are grammatically acceptable when referring to the next seven days. However, “the coming week” is vastly preferred in elegant, narrative prose because it treats time as a flowing river. “The upcoming week” sounds incredibly sterile and corporate, like something a middle manager would say during a Monday morning stand-up meeting. If you are writing a novel, a personal essay, or a thoughtful newsletter, use “the coming week.” If you are writing a sterile corporate agenda, “upcoming” is fine.
Another major exception involves the word “forthcoming.” In British English, “forthcoming” is frequently used where American English speakers would use “upcoming.” A London-based publisher will refer to their “forthcoming releases,” and a UK politician will discuss the “forthcoming election.” However, “forthcoming” has a secondary meaning that “upcoming” lacks: it also means “candid” or “willing to share information” (e.g., “The witness was not very forthcoming with details”). If you are writing for an international audience, be highly aware of this transatlantic divide. American readers might find “forthcoming” slightly stuffy or archaic when applied to events, while British readers might find “upcoming” a bit too aggressively corporate.
Another frequent point of confusion is the phrase “up-and-coming.” Note the hyphens. This is a completely different idiom used to describe a person who is gaining prominence or likely to succeed soon, such as an “up-and-coming actor” or an “up-and-coming executive.” It is never used for events, and it is never written as a single word. Mixing up “upcoming” (an approaching event) with “up-and-coming” (a rising star) is a hallmark of amateur copywriting.
Finally, watch out for fixed idioms where the rules of time and space are entirely suspended. You will always say “coming of age,” never “upcoming of age.” You will say “the Second Coming,” never “the Second Upcoming.” You will say “coming soon” at the end of a movie trailer, because the trailer is trying to generate visceral excitement and physical anticipation. “Upcoming soon” is redundant and grammatically awkward. Memorize these fixed phrases as immutable laws of English; trying to apply logical grammar rules to idioms will only lead you astray.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use “upcoming” as a verb, like “I am upcoming”? No, absolutely not. “Upcoming” is strictly an adjective, so it can only be used to modify a noun (e.g., “the upcoming meeting”). If you need a verb to describe your own travel or arrival, you must use the present participle “coming” (e.g., “I am coming to the meeting”).
Is it correct to say “the upcoming days”? While technically grammatical, “the upcoming days” sounds highly unnatural and robotic to a native speaker’s ear. When referring to broad, sweeping blocks of time like days, weeks, months, or years, it is much more elegant and idiomatic to use “coming” (e.g., “the coming days”). Reserve “upcoming” for specific, scheduled events.
What is the difference between “upcoming” and “forthcoming”? In American English, “upcoming” is the standard adjective for scheduled future events, while “forthcoming” is rarely used in this context. In British English, “forthcoming” is the preferred term for future events, but it also carries a secondary meaning of being open, honest, or willing to share information, a definition “upcoming” does not possess.
Should I write “upcoming event” or “up-coming event”? You should always write it as a single, unhyphenated word: “upcoming.” The hyphenated version “up-coming” is considered an archaic spelling that fell out of favor in the mid-20th century. Modern dictionaries and style guides universally mandate the closed compound form.
Nathan Williams is a seasoned editor and writer with a passion for the subtleties of the English language. With a degree in English from NYU and more than 12 years of editorial experience, he has honed his expertise in spelling accuracy and the comparison of often-misused words. Nathan’s foray into language analysis was sparked by his desire to help others communicate more effectively and avoid common pitfalls in writing. At WordCompareHub, he crafts comprehensive guides and articles that discuss word usage distinctions and provide effective spelling strategies. Nathan is driven by the belief that clarity in language is key to effective communication. In his leisure time, he enjoys crosswords and participates in local word games, continually expanding his lexicon and sharpening his linguistic skills.