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govern

gov·ern/ˈɡʌv.ɚn/verb, noun

govern is spelled G-O-V-E-R-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (gov·ern). It appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, govern means “To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in govern?

Letters6: G-O-V-E-R-N
Syllables2: gov·ern
In writing4.7 times per million words; the 11,685th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is govern?

Govern appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th 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 govern?

  • UK /ˈɡʌv.ən/
  • US /ˈɡʌv.ɚn/
  • Australia /ˈɡɐv.ən/

Govern has 2 syllables, split gov·ern in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-govern.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of govern

  • governs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • governing participle, present
  • governed participle, past

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

What does govern mean?

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

verb

  1. 1

    To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.

    The old king governed the land wisely.

  2. 2

    To exercise political authority; to run a government.

  3. 3

    To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.

    Govern yourselves like civilized people.

  4. 4

    To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.

    Chance governs the outcome of many card games.

  5. 5

    To have or exercise a determining influence.

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo handle, to manage, to oversee (a matter, an affair, a household, etc.).

  7. 7

    To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.

    a valve that governs fuel intake

  8. 8

    obsoleteTo direct the course of, to guide in some direction, to steer.

noun

  1. 1

    The act of governing

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

Govern in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchgouverner (to exercise sovereign authority in)
Germanregieren, steuern (to exercise sovereign authority in), regulieren (to control the actions of), lenken (to exercise a determining influence on), regeln (to control the speed or magnitude of)
Portuguesegovernar (to exercise sovereign authority in)
Spanishgobernar (to exercise sovereign authority in)

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 govern come from?

From Middle English governen, governe, from Anglo-Norman and Old French governer, guverner, from Latin gubernō, from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, drive, govern”). Displaced native Old English wealdan, whence modern dialectical English wald (“to govern”).

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

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