observe
ob·serve/əbˈzɝv/verb
observe is spelled O-B-S-E-R-V-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (ob·serve). It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, observe means “To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in observe?
| Letters | 7: O-B-S-E-R-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ob·serve |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,456th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is observe?
Observe appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th 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 observe?
- UK /əbˈzɜːv/
- UK /ɒbˈzɜːv/
- US /əbˈzɝv/
Observe has 2 syllables, split ob·serve in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-observe.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with observe?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as observe from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹv/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: obverse, verbose.
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 observe
- observes present, singular, he/she/it
- observing participle, present
- observed participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does observe mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail.
From this vantage point we can observe the behavior of the animals in their natural habitat.
- 2
To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion).
Please observe all posted speed limits.
- 3
To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence), to keep; to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning).
On Sunday, most of Canada will observe daylight time and spring forward an hour in order to reflect the increasing sunlight.
- 4
To comment on something; to make an observation.
The senator observed that the bill would be detrimental to his constituents.
noun
- 1
archaicAn observation (remark, comment or judgement).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Observe in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | observer, remarquer , respecter, garder |
| German | beobachten , beachten, halten , bemerken |
| Portuguese | observar, ver, verificar, olhar, reparar , seguir |
| Spanish | observar , servar |
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 observe come from?
From Middle French observer, from Old French observer, from Latin observō (“to watch”), from ob- (“before”) + servō (“to keep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to guard”). Cognate with Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sarwa, “weapons, armour”), Old English searu (“device”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).