provost

/ˈpɹɒvəst/

//ˈpɹɒvəst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“provost” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,956. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,956
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One placed in charge: a head, a chief

Corpus desk

Index EN-provost · provost · English

provost · rank #23,956 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,956
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH provenance

Nearest frequency peer: provenance (-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 “provost”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “provost” 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).

provost vs Provo
57% similar
provost vs proves
71% similar
provost vs Proust
57% similar

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

Key facts for provost
PropertyValue
Headwordprovost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɒvəst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#23,956
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “provost”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).provostlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “provenance” (#23,955), “putt” (#23,957), “quadruple” (#23,958). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “provost” is #23,956. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around provost (IPA /ˈpɹɒvəst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,956 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 19 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for provost, with forms such as "porvost", "pprovost", and "proovst". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Provo", "proves", "Proust", 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, from late Old English prōfost, prāfost, from Late Latin prōpositus, variant of Latin praepositus (“[one] placed in command”). In some senses, via Anglo-Norman provolt; via Anglo-Norman and Old French provost (modern French prévôt). As a… The correct English form is provost, spelled P-R-O-V-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  2. 2
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  3. 3
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  4. 4
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  5. 5
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  6. 6
    One placed in charge: a head, a chief
  7. 7
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  8. 8
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  9. 9
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  10. 10
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  11. 11
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  12. 12
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  13. 13
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  14. 14
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  15. 15
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  16. 16
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  17. 17
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  18. 18
    A senior deputy, a superintendent
  19. 19
    A provost cell: a military cell or prison.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The repairs were completed in the summer of last year, more than ten months after the line had been closed, and the branch was re-opened on June 29, when Mr. T. F. Cameron, Chief Regional Officer, Scottish Region, received Provost J. S. Collin, of Eyemouth, at the station. The 12.42. p.m. train to Burnmouth was signalled out of the station by the Provost,…
  2. The provost of the University of Massachusetts has reversed a decision by faculty personnel committees not to renew the contracts of two professors engaged in sex research.

Etymology

From Middle English, from late Old English prōfost, prāfost, from Late Latin prōpositus, variant of Latin praepositus (“[one] placed in command”). In some senses, via Anglo-Norman provolt; via Anglo-Norman and Old French provost (modern French prévôt). As a Central European ecclesiastical office, via German Propst, Danish provst, etc.

Synonyms

deanpresidentdeanrulermayorprepositusstewardviceroygovernorreeveprefect and praetorpolice officer

This word in other languages

alcalde(Español)prévôt(Français)Vorsteher(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porvost
  • pprovost
  • proovst
  • provosst
  • provostt
  • provots
  • provsot
  • provvost
  • prrovost
  • prvoost
  • rpovost

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of provost - 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.

porvost2pprovost1proovst2provosst1provostt1provots2provsot2provvost1
Edit distance from "provost"

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 "provost"?
"provost" is spelled P-R-O-V-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒvəst/.
What does "provost" mean?
As a noun, "provost" means: One placed in charge: a head, a chief
What words are commonly confused with "provost"?
"provost" is commonly confused with "Provo", "proves", "Proust". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "provost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "provost" is /ˈpɹɒvəst/. 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 "provost"?
From Middle English, from late Old English prōfost, prāfost, from Late Latin prōpositus, variant of Latin praepositus (“[one] placed in command”). In some senses, via Anglo-Norman provolt; via Anglo-Norman and Old French provost (modern French pré... 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 "provost", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Rachael#23,960racking#23,961powders#23,948ratchet#23,964

Similar misspelling depth

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

overseen11 variantssharpen11 variantsmulberry11 variantsmovable11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list