The short answer
Preponeis not a standard English word. It exists only in Indian English. If you say “Please prepone the meeting” to someone outside India, they will not understand you. The correct phrase is bring forward — or more casually, move up.
Wrong vs. Right
Wrong
Can we prepone the meeting to Monday?
Right
Can we bring the meeting forward to Monday?
Wrong
The interview has been preponed.
Right
The interview has been moved up.
Wrong
Please prepone your appointment.
Right
Please reschedule your appointment to an earlier date.
Wrong
The launch was preponed by two days.
Right
The launch was brought forward by two days.
Where Did “Prepone” Come From?
Simple logic. In English, postpone means to push something to a later time. The prefix post-means “after”. Indians reasoned: the opposite of post- is pre- (before) — so the opposite of postpone must be prepone.
The logic is perfect. The problem is that English never made this word. “Postpone” came from Latin postponere (to put behind), but English never had a corresponding Latin word for moving things forward. So the gap in the vocabulary was filled differently: by bring forward.
The Oxford English Dictionary does mention “prepone” as an Indian English term — but it is not understood in the UK, the US, Australia, or anywhere else. Using it in an IELTS speaking test or a formal email abroad will confuse the reader.
What to Say Instead
| Situation | Say this instead |
|---|---|
| Formal email / work | Could we bring the meeting forward to… |
| Casual conversation | Can we move it up to… |
| Scheduling apps / HR | Reschedule to an earlier time |
| IELTS / exam writing | The event was brought forward by… |
Exam tip
“Prepone” does not appear as an error-spotting MCQ because examiners assume students already know standard vocabulary. But in IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Speaking, using it will cost you a band point for lexical resource. Use bring forward — it sounds natural and is exam-safe.