advance

/ədˈvæns/verb, noun, adjective

advance is spelled A-D-V-A-N-C-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 45 times per million words in written English, the 2,253rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, advance means “To help the progress of (something); to further” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in advance?

Letters	7: A-D-V-A-N-C-E
Syllables	2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing	45 times per million words; the 2,253rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search
Rhymes with	stance enhance lance glance more

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 advance?

Advance appears 45 times per million words in written English, the 2,253rd most frequent word form in the list.

advance0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce advance?

UK /ədˈvɑːns/
US /ədˈvæns/
US [ədˈvɛəns]

Advance has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-advance.wav, En-us-advance.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Typheuss-advance.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with advance?

9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as advance from its last stressed vowel (/æns/):

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 advance

advances present, singular, he/she/it, plural
advancing participle, present
advanced participle, past
more advance comparative
most advance superlative

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does advance mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

1
To help the progress of (something); to further.
2
To raise (someone) in rank or office; to prefer, to promote.
3
To move or push (something) forwards, especially forcefully.
4
To make (something) happen at an earlier time or date; to bring forward, to hasten.
5
To move forwards; to approach.
I advanced towards him step by step, stopping sometimes for fear of waking him.
6
To provide (money or other value) before it is due, or in expectation of some work; to lend.
7
To put forward (an idea, argument etc.); to propose.
8
To make progress; to do well, to succeed.

noun

1
A forward move; improvement or progression.
an advance in health or knowledge
2
An amount of money or credit, especially given as a loan, or paid before it is due; an advancement.
3
An addition to the price; rise in price or value.
an advance on the prime cost of goods
4
An opening approach or overture, now especially of an unwelcome or sexual nature.

adjective

1
Completed before necessary or a milestone event.
He made an advance payment on the prior shipment to show good faith.
2
Preceding.
The advance man came a month before the candidate.
3
Forward.
The scouts found a site for an advance base.