retain
re·tain/ɹəˈteɪn/verb
retain is spelled R-E-T-A-I-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables (re·tain). It appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, retain means “Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in retain?
| Letters | 6: R-E-T-A-I-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: re·tain |
| In writing | 14 times per million words; the 5,496th 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; 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 retain?
Retain appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th 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 retain?
- UK /ɹɪˈteɪn/
- US /ɹəˈteɪn/
- US /ɹi-/
Retain has 2 syllables, split re·tain in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-retain.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with retain?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as retain from its last stressed vowel (/eɪn/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: retina.
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 retain
- retains present, singular, he/she/it
- retaining participle, present
- retained participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does retain mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
Often followed by from: to hold back (someone or something); to check, to prevent, to restrain, to stop.
- 2
To hold back (a pupil) instead of allowing them to advance to the next class or year; to keep back.
- 3
Of a thing: to hold or keep (something) inside it; to contain.
water retained by a dam
- 4
To hold back (tissue or a substance, especially urine) in the body or a body organ.
- 5
To hold (something) secure; to prevent (something) from becoming detached or separated.
- 6
To keep (something) in control or possession; to continue having (something); to keep back.
- 7
To keep (something) in the mind; to recall, to remember.
- 8
To keep (something) in place or use, instead of removing or abolishing it; to preserve.
noun
- 1
obsoleteAn act of holding or keeping something; a possession, a retention.
- 2
obsoleteSynonym of retinue (“a group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Retain in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | sitzen bleiben , festhalten , behalten |
| French | retenir, conserver, maintenir |
| Portuguese | reter |
| Spanish | retener, detentar (illegitimately) , retenerse |
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.