pronounce

/pɹəˈnaʊns/

//pɹəˈnaʊns// verb

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

"pronounce" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pronounce” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,946 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,946
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pronounce vs pronounced
90% similar
pronounce vs pronoun
78% similar

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

Key facts for pronounce
PropertyValue
Headwordpronounce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹəˈnaʊns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#11,946
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pronounce” 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). pronounce 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 pronounce is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹəˈnaʊns/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,946 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for pronounce, with forms such as "pornounce", "ppronounce", and "prnoounce". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "pronounced", "pronoun", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since c.1330 as Middle English pronouncen (“to utter, declare officially”), from Old French prononcier, from Latin prōnūntiō, itself from prō- (“forth, out, in public”) + nūntiō (“to announce”) from nūntius (“messenger”). The correct English form is pronounce, spelled P-R-O-N-O-U-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.
  2. 2
    To declare authoritatively, or as a formal expert opinion.
  3. 3
    To declare authoritatively, or as a formal expert opinion.
  4. 4
    To pass judgment.
  5. 5
    To sound out (a word or phrase); to articulate.
  6. 6
    To sound out (a word or phrase); to articulate.
  7. 7
    To produce the components of speech.
  8. 8
    To read aloud.
  9. 9
    To emphasize, highlight.

Etymology

Recorded since c.1330 as Middle English pronouncen (“to utter, declare officially”), from Old French prononcier, from Latin prōnūntiō, itself from prō- (“forth, out, in public”) + nūntiō (“to announce”) from nūntius (“messenger”).

This word in other languages

pronunciar(Español)déclarer(Français)verkünden(Deutsch)declarar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pornounce,ppronounce,prnoounce,pronnounce,prononuce,pronoucne,pronouncce,pronounec,pronounnce,pronuonce,proonunce,prronounce,rponounce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pronounce - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

pornounce2ppronounce1prnoounce2pronnounce1prononuce2pronoucne2pronouncce1pronounec2
Edit distance from "pronounce"

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 "pronounce"?
"pronounce" is spelled P-R-O-N-O-U-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəˈnaʊns/.
What does "pronounce" mean?
As a verb, "pronounce" means: To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously.
What words are commonly confused with "pronounce"?
"pronounce" is commonly confused with "pronounced", "pronoun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pronounce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pronounce" is /pɹəˈnaʊns/. 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 "pronounce"?
Recorded since c.1330 as Middle English pronouncen (“to utter, declare officially”), from Old French prononcier, from Latin prōnūntiō, itself from prō- (“forth, out, in public”) + nūntiō (“to announce”) from nūntius (“messenger”). 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 “pronounce”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-N-O-U-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹəˈnaʊns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pronounced” - see the side-by-side comparison. pronounce vs pronounced
  • 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