encroach
/ɪŋˈkɹəʊtʃ/verb, noun
encroach is spelled E-N-C-R-O-A-C-H: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 53,573rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, encroach means “To intrude unrightfully on someone else’s rights or territory” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in encroach?
| Letters | 8: E-N-C-R-O-A-C-H |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 53,573rd 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 encroach?
Encroach appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 53,573rd 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 encroach?
- UK /ɪŋˈkɹəʊtʃ/
- UK /ɛŋˈkɹəʊtʃ/
Encroach 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-encroach.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of encroach
- encroaches present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- encroaching participle, present
- encroached participle, past
- incroach
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does encroach mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
obsoleteto seize, appropriate
- 2
To intrude unrightfully on someone else’s rights or territory.
Now stands the Brere like a lord alone, / Puffed up with pryde and vaine pleasaunce. / But all this glee had no continuaunce: / For eftsones winter gan to approche; / The blustering Boreas did encroche, / And beate upon the solitarie Brere;
- 3
To advance gradually beyond due limits.
noun
- 1
rareEncroachment.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Encroach in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | widerrechtlich eindringen , widerrechtlich vordringen, sich widerrechtlich ausdehnen, übergriffig werden, Übergriffe begehen |
| Portuguese | invadir |
| Spanish | inmiscuirse, traspasar , mermar, menoscabar |
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 encroach come from?
From Middle English encrochen, from Old French encrochier (“to seize”), from Old French en- + croc (“hook”), of Germanic origin. More at crook.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).