proverb
/ˈpɹɒvɜːb/
"proverb" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“proverb” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,283 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #24,283
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 6
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A commonly used sentence expressing popular wisdom.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | proverb |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #24,283 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 6 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “proverb” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for proverb is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,283 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 proverb, with forms such as "porverb", "pproverb", and "proevrb". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "proves", "Proverbs", "prove", 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 Old French proverbe, from Latin proverbium. The correct English form is proverb, spelled P-R-O-V-E-R-B.
Definition
- 1A commonly used sentence expressing popular wisdom.
- 2Any commonly used turn of phrase expressing a metaphor, simile, or descriptive epithet.
- 3A striking or paradoxical assertion; an obscure saying; an enigma; a parable.
- 4A familiar illustration; a subject of contemptuous reference.
- 5A drama exemplifying a proverb.
Etymology
From Old French proverbe, from Latin proverbium.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: porverb,pproverb,proevrb,provebr,proverbb,proverrb,provreb,provverb,prroverb,prvoerb,rpoverb
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of proverb - 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.
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 "proverb"?
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Using “proverb”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-V-E-R-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “proves” - see the side-by-side comparison. proverb vs proves
- 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.