prescribe
/pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/verb
prescribe is spelled P-R-E-S-C-R-I-B-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “prescribe vs proscribe” about 590 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, prescribe means “To order (a drug or medical device) for use by a particular patient (under licensed authority)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in prescribe?
| Letters | 9: P-R-E-S-C-R-I-B-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,342nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people 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); 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).
How common is prescribe?
Prescribe appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd 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 prescribe?
- /pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/
- /pɹəˈskɹaɪb/
- /pɝˈskɹaɪb/
Prescribe 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-prescribe.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with prescribe
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).
Forms of prescribe
- prescribes present, singular, he/she/it
- prescribing participle, present
- prescribed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prescribe mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To order (a drug or medical device) for use by a particular patient (under licensed authority).
The doctor prescribed aspirin.
- 2
To specify by writing as a required procedure or ritual; to lay down authoritatively as a guide, direction, or rule of action.
The property meets the criteria prescribed by the regulations.
- 3
To develop or assert a right; to make a claim (by prescription).
- 4
To become invalidated or unenforceable by prescription, to lapse
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prescribe in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prescrire, indiquer, ordonner |
| German | verschreiben, verordnen , vorschreiben |
| Portuguese | prescrever, receitar , ordenar |
| Spanish | prescribir, recetar , ordenar |
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 prescribe come from?
Borrowed from Latin praescrībere, from prae- (“before, in front”) and scrībere (“to write”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).