proverb

/ˈpɹɒvɜːb/

//ˈpɹɒvɜːb// noun

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

"proverb" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“proverb” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,283. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,283
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A commonly used sentence expressing popular wisdom.

Corpus desk

Index EN-proverb · proverb · English

proverb · rank #24,283 · 11 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,283
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH primate

Nearest frequency peer: primate (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “proverb”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “proverb” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

proverb vs proves
71% similar
proverb vs Proverbs
75% similar
proverb vs prove
71% similar

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

Key facts for proverb
PropertyValue
Headwordproverb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɒvɜːb/
Letters7
Frequency rank#24,283
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “proverb”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).proverblands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “primate” (#24,282), “puns” (#24,284), “prentice” (#24,281). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “proverb” is #24,283. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around proverb (IPA /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,283 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    A commonly used sentence expressing popular wisdom.
  2. 2
    Any commonly used turn of phrase expressing a metaphor, simile, or descriptive epithet.
  3. 3
    A striking or paradoxical assertion; an obscure saying; an enigma; a parable.
  4. 4
    A familiar illustration; a subject of contemptuous reference.
  5. 5
    A drama exemplifying a proverb.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how proverb appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Near-synonyms: aphorism, maxim, adage, saw, saying, apothegm, byword, paroemia, sententia (Latin)
  2. As a Yiddish proverb has it: Badarf men hunik ven tsuker iz zis? Who needs honey when sugar is sweet?

Etymology

From Old French proverbe, from Latin proverbium.

This word in other languages

proverbio(Español)proverbe(Français)Sprichwort(Deutsch)provérbio(Português)

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.

porverb2pproverb1proevrb2provebr2proverbb1proverrb1provreb2provverb1
Edit distance from "proverb"

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"?
"proverb" is spelled P-R-O-V-E-R-B. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/.
What does "proverb" mean?
As a noun, "proverb" means: A commonly used sentence expressing popular wisdom.
What words are commonly confused with "proverb"?
"proverb" is commonly confused with "proves", "Proverbs", "prove". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "proverb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "proverb" is /ˈpɹɒvɜːb/. 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 "proverb"?
From Old French proverbe, from Latin proverbium. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "proverb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

primate#24,282ranting#24,289plating#24,275pinched#24,274

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Saratoga11 variantsshocker11 variantsnineties11 variantsslicing11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list