apprehend
ap·pre·hend/ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnd/verb
apprehend is spelled A-P-P-R-E-H-E-N-D: 9 letters and 3 syllables (ap·pre·hend). It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, apprehend means “To be or become aware of (something); to perceive” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in apprehend?
| Letters | 9: A-P-P-R-E-H-E-N-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ap·pre·hend |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,214th 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 apprehend?
Apprehend appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th 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 apprehend?
- US /ˌæpɹɪˈhɛnd/
- Australia /ˌæpɹɪˈhend/
- /ˌɛpɹəˈhend/
Apprehend has 3 syllables, split ap·pre·hend in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Mélange_a_trois-apprehend.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with apprehend?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as apprehend from its last stressed vowel (/ɛnd/):
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 apprehend
- apprehends present, singular, he/she/it
- apprehending participle, present
- apprehended participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does apprehend mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To be or become aware of (something); to perceive.
- 2
To acknowledge the existence of (something); to recognize.
- 3
To take hold of (something) with understanding; to conceive (something) in the mind; to become cognizant of; to understand.
- 4
To have a conception of (something); to consider, to regard.
- 5
To anticipate (something, usually unpleasant); especially, to anticipate (something) with anxiety, dread, or fear; to dread, to fear.
- 6
archaicobsoleteTo seize or take (something); to take hold of.
- 7
To seize or take (a person) by legal process; to arrest.
Officers apprehended the suspect two streets away from the bank.
- 8
obsoleteTo feel (something) emotionally.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Apprehend in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | appréhender, comprendre , arrêter |
| German | begreifen, verstehen , festnehmen , fangen |
| Portuguese | entender , deter, prender , apreender , temer |
| Spanish | aprehender, captar , apresar , prender |
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.