prevent

/pɹɪˈvɛnt/

//pɹɪˈvɛnt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"prevent" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prevent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,701 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,701
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

prevent vs proven
71% similar
prevent vs prudent
71% similar
prevent vs prevented
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for prevent
PropertyValue
Headwordprevent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹɪˈvɛnt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,701
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prevent” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). prevent lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for prevent is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹɪˈvɛnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,701 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for prevent, with forms such as "pervent", "pprevent", and "preevnt". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "proven", "prudent", "prevented", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“I come”). The correct English form is prevent, spelled P-R-E-V-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
  2. 2
    To take preventative measures.
  3. 3
    To come before; to precede.
  4. 4
    To outdo, surpass.
  5. 5
    To be beforehand with; to anticipate.

Etymology

From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“I come”).

This word in other languages

impedir(Español)empêcher(Français)verhindern(Deutsch)impedir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pervent,pprevent,preevnt,prevennt,preventt,prevetn,prevnet,prevvent,prrevent,prveent,rpevent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prevent - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

pervent2pprevent1preevnt2prevennt1preventt1prevetn2prevnet2prevvent1
Edit distance from "prevent"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "prevent"?
"prevent" is spelled P-R-E-V-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈvɛnt/.
What does "prevent" mean?
As a verb, "prevent" means: To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).
What words are commonly confused with "prevent"?
"prevent" is commonly confused with "proven", "prudent", "prevented". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prevent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prevent" is /pɹɪˈvɛnt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "prevent"?
From Middle English preventen (“anticipate”), from Latin praeventus, perfect passive participle of praeveniō (“I anticipate”), from prae (“before”) + veniō (“I come”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “prevent”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-V-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹɪˈvɛnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “proven” - see the side-by-side comparison. prevent vs proven
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list