avow
/əˈvaʊ/verb
avow is spelled A-V-O-W: 4 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 21 million words in written English, the 139,999th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, avow means “To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in avow?
| Letters | 4: A-V-O-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 21 million words; the 139,999th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is avow?
Avow appears about once in every 21 million words in written English, the 139,999th 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 avow?
- /əˈvaʊ/
Avow 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-avow.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of avow
- avows present, singular, he/she/it
- avowing participle, present
- avowed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does avow mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To declare openly and boldly, as something believed to be right; to own, acknowledge or confess frankly.
- 2
To bind or devote by a vow.
- 3
To acknowledge and justify, as an act done. See avowry.
noun
- 1
obsoleteavowal
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Avow in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense declare openly:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | avouer, confesser |
| German | bekennen, gestehen |
| Portuguese | admitir |
| Spanish | confesar, admitir, reconocer |
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 avow come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).