draw
/dɹɑ/verb, interjection, noun
draw is spelled D-R-A-W: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “draw vs drawer” about 140 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, draw means “To pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in draw?
| Letters | 4: D-R-A-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 65 times per million words; the 1,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Same letters |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is draw?
Draw appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th 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 draw?
- /dɹɑ/
- /dɹɔ/
- [d͡ʒɹɔ]
Draw has one syllable (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-draw.ogg, En-uk-to_draw.ogg, En-au-draw.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with draw
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with draw?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as draw.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: ward.
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 draw
- draws present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- drawing participle, present
- drew past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- drawn participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does draw mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To pull (someone or something) in a particular direction or manner.
He drew a sheaf of papers from his bag.
- 2
To move (a body part) in a particular direction.
She settled in the window seat, drawing her leg up beneath her.
- 3
Often followed by tight: to pull (something, such as a belt or string) so that it tightens or wraps around something more closely.
She took a deep breath and drew her corset-strings.
- 4
To drag (something), especially along the ground.
- 5
To pull (blinds, a curtain, etc.) open or closed.
She drew the curtains to let in the sunlight.
- 6
To pull out (a bolt or latch) to unlock a door, gate, etc.; also, to push in (a bolt or latch) to lock a door, gate, etc.
- 7
Chiefly followed by aside or to one side: to move (someone) away from a group of people in order to speak to them privately.
- 8
To assume a specific attitude or position, either by pulling in or stretching out one's body or limbs.
He drew himself to his full height and glowered at the interloper.
interjection
- 1
Pull back your bowstring in preparation to shoot.
noun
- 1
That which draws: that which attracts e.g. a crowd.
- 2
The act of drawing a gun from a holster, etc.
the Wild West's quick-draw champion
- 3
The procedure by which the result of a lottery is determined.
The draw is on Saturday.
- 4
The act of pulling back the strings in preparation of firing; the distance the strings are pulled back.
- 5
The result of a contest that neither side has won.
The game ended in a draw.
- 6
The result of a two-innings match in which at least one side did not complete all their innings before time ran out (as distinguished from a tie).
- 7
That which is drawn (e.g. funds from an account).
They're going to take away our draw! (referring to e.g. disability assistance)
- 8
In a commission-based job, an advance on future (potential) commissions given to an employee by the employer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate draw?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of draw: DNB.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Draw in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dessiner , tirer , dégainer , puiser, extraire , égalité |
| German | zeichnen, malen, skizzieren, aufzeichnen, aufmalen, aufskizzieren |
| Portuguese | desenhar , puxar , sacar , tirar, extrair , atrair |
| Spanish | dibujar , jalar, tirar , desenvainar, desenfundar, sacar |
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.