# show

> English word · Verb · IPA /ʃəʊ/ · frequency rank #199

## Definitions
1. To display, to have somebody see (something).
2. To bestow; to confer.
3. To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate.
4. To guide or escort.
5. To be visible; to be seen; to appear.
6. To put in an appearance; show up.
7. To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant.
8. To finish third, especially of horses or dogs.
9. To reveal one's hand of cards.
10. To have a certain appearance, such as well or ill, fit or unfit; to become or suit; to appear.

## Etymology
From Middle English schewen, from Old English scēawian (“to look, look at, exhibit, display”), from Proto-West Germanic *skauwōn, from Proto-Germanic *skawwōną (“to look, see”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁- (“to heed, look, feel, take note of”); see haw, gaum, caveat, caution.
Cognate with Scots shaw (“to show”), Dutch schouwen (“to inspect, view”), German schauen (“to see, behold”), Danish skue (“to behold”). Related to sheen.
Wider cognates include Ancient Greek κῦδος (kûdos), Latin caveō whence English caution and caveat, Sanskrit कवि (kaví, “seer, prophet, bard”), Proto-Slavic *čuti (whence Russian чу́ять (čújatʹ) and many more).

## Easily confused with
- **so** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-so)
- **SW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sw)
- **son** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-son)
- **shy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-shy)
- **sox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sox)
- **sol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sol)
- **soy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-soy)
- **sow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sow)
- **SOS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sos)
- **SOB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sob)
- **sod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sod)
- **som** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-som)
- **soe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-soe)
- **sop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sop)
- **soi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-soi)
- **SoA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-soa)
- **sou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sou)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sor)
- **sot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sot)
- **SJW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/show-vs-sjw)

## Common misspellings (6)
`hsow`, `shhow`, `showw`, `shwo`, `sohw`, `sshow`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/show