approve

ap·prove/əˈpɹuːv/verb

approve is spelled A-P-P-R-O-V-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (ap·prove). It appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, approve means “To officially sanction; to ratify; to confirm; to set as satisfactory” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in approve?

Letters	7: A-P-P-R-O-V-E
Syllables	2: ap·prove
In writing	12 times per million words; the 6,230th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search
Rhymes with	you've prove remove groove more

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 approve?

Approve appears 12 times per million words in written English, the 6,230th most frequent word form in the list.

approve0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

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 approve?

US /əˈpɹuːv/

Approve has 2 syllables, split ap·prove 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-approve.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with approve?

6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as approve from its last stressed vowel (/uv/):

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 approve

approves present, singular, he/she/it
approving participle, present
approved 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 approve mean?

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

verb

1
To officially sanction; to ratify; to confirm; to set as satisfactory.
Although we may disagree with it, we must nevertheless approve the sentence handed down by the court-martial.
2
To regard as good; to commend; to be pleased with; to think well of.
We approve the measure of the administration, for it is an excellent decision.
3
archaicTo make proof of; to demonstrate; to prove or show practically.
4
To consider worthy (to); to be pleased (with); to accept.
Her mother never approves of any of her boyfriends. She thinks nobody is good enough for her little girl.
5
archaicTo show to be worthy; to demonstrate the merits of.
6
To make profit of; to convert to one's own profit – said especially of waste or common land appropriated by the lord of the manor.

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

Approve in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

Language	Words
French	approuver (to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm…)
German	billigen, genehmigen (to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm…), gutheißen (to regard as good; to commend; to be pleased…), bewilligen (to make or show to be worthy of approbation or…)
Portuguese	aprovar, sancionar (to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm…), provar ((archaic in English) to make proof of; to…)
Spanish	aprobar, sancionar (to sanction officially; to ratify; to confirm…), ver con buenos ojos (to regard as good; to commend; to be pleased…)

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.