affirm
/əˈfɝm/verb, interjection
affirm is spelled A-F-F-I-R-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, affirm means “To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in affirm?
| Letters | 6: A-F-F-I-R-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd 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 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 affirm?
Affirm appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd 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 affirm?
- US /əˈfɝm/
- UK /əˈfɜːm/
Affirm 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: En-us-affirm.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with affirm?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as affirm from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹm/):
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 affirm
- affirms present, singular, he/she/it
- affirming participle, present
- affirmed 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 affirm mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To agree, verify or concur; to answer positively.
She affirmed that she would go when I asked her.
- 2
To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true.
- 3
To support or encourage.
gender-affirming; trans-affirming
- 4
To make firm; to confirm, or ratify; especially (law) to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review.
- 5
To state under a solemn promise to tell the truth which is considered legally equivalent to an oath, especially of those who have religious or other moral objections to swearing oaths; also solemnly affirm.
interjection
- 1
Yes; true; correct.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Affirm in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | zustimmen, bejahen, bestätigen , unterstützen |
| Portuguese | afirmar |
| Spanish | afirmar |
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 affirm come from?
From Middle English affermen, from Old French afermer, affermer, from Latin affirmare, adfirmare (“to present as fixed, aver, affirm”), from ad (“to”) + firmare (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”). By surface analysis, af- + firm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).