propel
/pɹəˈpɛl/verb
propel is spelled P-R-O-P-E-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, propel means “To provide an impetus for motion or physical action; to cause to move in a certain direction; to drive or push forward” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in propel?
| Letters | 6: P-R-O-P-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words; the 23,536th 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 propel?
Propel appears 1.4 times per million words in written English, the 23,536th 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 propel?
- US /pɹəˈpɛl/
- Australia /pɹəˈpel/
Propel 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: En-us-propel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with propel?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as propel from its last stressed vowel (/ɛl/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: lopper.
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 propel
- propels present, singular, he/she/it
- propelling participle, present
- propelled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does propel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To provide an impetus for motion or physical action; to cause to move in a certain direction; to drive or push forward.
- 2
To provide an impetus for nonphysical change; to cause to arrive to a certain situation or result.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Propel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | propulser, catapulter |
| German | antreiben |
| Portuguese | propulsar |
| Spanish | propeler , impulsar |
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 propel come from?
From Middle English propellen (“drive out, expel”), from Latin propellō, from pro- (“forward”) and pellō (“to push, to move”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).