accuse
ac·cuse/əˈkjuz/verb
accuse is spelled A-C-C-U-S-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ac·cuse). It appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, accuse means “To find fault with, blame, censure” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in accuse?
| Letters | 6: A-C-C-U-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ac·cuse |
| In writing | 5.1 times per million words; the 11,015th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is accuse?
Accuse appears 5.1 times per million words in written English, the 11,015th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce accuse?
- UK /əˈkjuːz/
- US /əˈkjuz/
Accuse has 2 syllables, split ac·cuse in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-accuse.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with accuse?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as accuse from its last stressed vowel (/uz/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of accuse
- accuses present, singular, he/she/it
- accusing participle, present
- accused participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does accuse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To find fault with, blame, censure.
- 2
To charge with having committed a crime or offence.
For the U.S. President to be impeached, he must be accused of a high crime or misdemeanor.
- 3
To make an accusation against someone.
noun
- 1
obsoleteAccusation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Accuse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense attribute blame to someone:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | accuser |
| German | beschuldigen, anklagen |
| Portuguese | acusar |
| Spanish | acusar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does accuse come from?
First attested around 1300. From Middle English acusen, from Old French acuser, from Latin accūsō (“to call to account, accuse”), from ad (“to”) + causa (“cause, lawsuit, reason”). Akin to cause.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).