pro
/pɹoʊ/noun, preposition, adjective
pro is spelled P-R-O: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pro means “An advantage of something, especially when contrasted with its disadvantages (cons)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pro is pros.
How many letters and syllables are in pro?
| Letters | 3: P-R-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 87 times per million words; the 1,223rd 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 pro?
Pro appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd 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 pro?
- UK /pɹəʊ/
- US /pɹoʊ/
Pro has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-pro.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vincent.Xavier.Zell-pro.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with pro?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as pro from its last stressed vowel (/oʊ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: orp.
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 pro
- pros plural
- more pro comparative
- most pro superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pro mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An advantage of something, especially when contrasted with its disadvantages (cons).
What are the pros and cons of buying a car?
- 2
A person who supports a concept or principle.
- 3
A professional sportsman.
- 4
colloquialProfessional.
When it comes to DIY, he's a real pro.
- 5
slangA prostitute.
- 6
slangA chemical prophylaxis taken after sex to avoid contracting venereal disease.
- 7
UKarchaicslangA proproctor.
preposition
- 1
In favor of.
He is pro exercise but against physical exertion, quite a conundrum.
adjective
- 1
Professional.
He landed a pro mentorship gig.
noun
- 1
Initialism of pressure retarded osmosis.
- 2
Initialism of patient-reported outcome.
symbol
- 1
A theoretical phonologically null pronoun
- 2
Used to indicate personal pronoun in sign language glosses, e.g. PRO.1 or PRO-1 for the first person.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pro in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | les pours, les avantages , pro , expert , pro- |
| Portuguese | pró , especialista, perito, profissa |
| German | Profi |
| Spanish | perito, experto , pro- |
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 pro come from?
From Late Middle English pro, from Latin prō (“on behalf of”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).