prove

/pɹuːv/

//pɹuːv// verb

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

"prove" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prove” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,771 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,771
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for; to bear out; to testify.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prove vs proxy
60% similar
prove vs prune
60% similar
prove vs Provo
60% similar

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

Key facts for prove
PropertyValue
Headwordprove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹuːv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,771
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prove” 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). prove 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 prove is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹuːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,771 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for prove, with forms such as "porve", "pprove", and "proev". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "proxy", "prune", "Provo", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English proven, from Old English prōfian (“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”) and Old French prover (“to prove”), both from Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from probus (“good, worthy, exc… The correct English form is prove, spelled P-R-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for; to bear out; to testify.
  2. 2
    To turn out; to manifest.
  3. 3
    To turn out to be.
  4. 4
    To put to the test, to make trial of.
  5. 5
    To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify.
  6. 6
    To experience.
  7. 7
    To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of.
  8. 8
    Alternative form of proof (“allow (dough) to rise; test the activeness of (yeast); pressure-test (a firearm)”).
  9. 9
    To determine by experiment which effects a substance causes when ingested.

Etymology

From Middle English proven, from Old English prōfian (“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”) and Old French prover (“to prove”), both from Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from probus (“good, worthy, excellent”), from Proto-Indo-European *pro-bʰuH-s (“being in front, prominent”), from *pro-, *per- (“toward”) + *bʰuH- (“to be”). Displaced native Middle English sothen (“to prove”), from Old English sōþian (“to prove”). Doublet of probe. More at for, be, soothe.

This word in other languages

probar(Español)prouver(Français)beweisen(Deutsch)provar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porve,pprove,proev,provve,prrove,prvoe,rpove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prove - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

porve2pprove1proev2provve1prrove1prvoe2rpove2
Edit distance from "prove"

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 "prove"?
"prove" is spelled P-R-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹuːv/.
What does "prove" mean?
As a verb, "prove" means: To demonstrate that something is true or viable; to give proof for; to bear out; to testify.
What words are commonly confused with "prove"?
"prove" is commonly confused with "proxy", "prune", "Provo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prove"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prove" is /pɹuːv/. 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 "prove"?
From Middle English proven, from Old English prōfian (“to esteem, regard as, evince, try, prove”) and Old French prover (“to prove”), both from Latin probō (“test, try, examine, approve, show to be good or fit, prove”, verb), from probus (“good, w... 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 “prove”

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

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