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PlainSpell

safeguard

/ˈseɪfɡɑɹd/noun, verb

safeguard is spelled S-A-F-E-G-U-A-R-D: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, safeguard means “Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of safeguard is safeguards.

How many letters and syllables are in safeguard?

Letters9: S-A-F-E-G-U-A-R-D
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing3.5 times per million words; the 13,897th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is safeguard?

Safeguard appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 13,897th 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 safeguard?

  • UK /ˈseɪfɡɑːd/
  • US /ˈseɪfɡɑɹd/
  • Australia /ˈsæɪfɡɐːd/

Safeguard has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-safeguard.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-safeguard.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with safeguard

Also written: safe-guard (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of safeguard

  • safeguards plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • safeguarding participle, present
  • safeguarded participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does safeguard mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Something that serves as a guard or protection; a defense.

    Getting a flu shot is a good safeguard against illness.

  2. 2

    One who, or that which, defends or protects; defence; protection.

  3. 3

    A safe-conduct or passport, especially in time of war.

  4. 4

    obsoleteThe monitor lizard.

verb

  1. 1

    To protect, to keep safe.

    She kept a savings to safeguard against debt and emergencies.

  2. 2

    IrelandUKTo implement safeguarding.

  3. 3

    To escort safely.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Safeguard in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanSicherung, Schutz, Absicherung (something that serves as a guard or protection…), absichern, schützen (to protect, to keep safe)
Portuguesesalvaguarda (something that serves as a guard or protection…), salvaguardar (to protect, to keep safe)
Spanishsalvaguardia, resguardo, salvaguarda (something that serves as a guard or protection…), salvaguardar, resguardar (to protect, to keep safe)
Frenchprotéger (to protect, to keep safe)

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.

Where does safeguard come from?

From Middle English savegard, from Middle French sauvegarde, from Old French salve garde, sauve garde, reconstructed as safe + guard.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after safeguard