avow
/əˈvaʊ/
"avow" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“avow” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.
Corpus desk
Index EN-avow · avow · English
avow · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MID 4 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | avow |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /əˈvaʊ/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “avow” in English
Rare enough to double-check
avow is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈvaʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for avow in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English avowen, from Old French avouer, from Latin advocare (“to call to, call upon, hence to call as a witness, defender, patron, or advocate”), from ad (“to”) + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of advoke, avouch, and advocate. Not related to vow. The correct English form is avow, spelled A-V-O-W.
Definition
- 1To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.
- 2To bind or devote by a vow.
- 3To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See avowry.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how avow appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…] in 1786, and for some period later, there were few, if any, prominent Americans, who avowed themselves in favor of broadly democratic systems.
No man may halewe and avowe the firste gendrid thingis that perteynen to the Lord, whether it is oxe, whether scheep, tho ben the Lordis part.
Etymology
From Middle English avowen, from Old French avouer, from Latin advocare (“to call to, call upon, hence to call as a witness, defender, patron, or advocate”), from ad (“to”) + vocare (“to call”). Doublet of advoke, avouch, and advocate. Not related to vow.
Antonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.