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PlainSpell

watch

UK /ˈwɒt͡ʃ/noun, verb

watch is spelled W-A-T-C-H: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 219 times per million words in written English, the 460th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, watch means “A portable or wearable timepiece” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of watch is watches.

How many letters and syllables are in watch?

Letters5: W-A-T-C-H
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing219 times per million words; the 460th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is watch?

Watch appears 219 times per million words in written English, the 460th 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 watch?

  • UK /ˈwɒt͡ʃ/
  • British /ˈwɔt͡ʃ/
  • /ˈwɑt͡ʃ/

Watch has one syllable (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-gb-watch.ogg, En-us-watch.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with watch?

One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as watch from its last stressed vowel (/ɒtʃ/, British pronunciation):

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 watch

  • watches plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • watching participle, present
  • watched 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 watch mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A portable or wearable timepiece.

    Meronyms: watch face, watch receiver, watchspring, watch battery, watchstrap, watch strap, watchband

  2. 2

    The act of guarding and observing someone or something.

  3. 3

    A particular time period when guarding is kept.

    The second watch of the night began at midnight.

  4. 4

    A period of wakefulness between the two sleeps of a biphasic sleep pattern (the dead sleep or first sleep and morning sleep or second sleep): the first waking.

  5. 5

    A person or group of people who guard.

    The watch stopped the travelers at the city gates.

  6. 6

    The post or office of a watchman; also, the place where a watchman is posted, or where a guard is kept.

  7. 7

    A group of sailors and officers aboard a ship or shore station with a common period of duty: starboard watch, port watch.

  8. 8

    A period of time on duty, usually four hours in length; the officers and crew who tend the working of a vessel during the same watch. (FM 55–501).

verb

  1. 1

    To look at, see, or view for a period of time.

    Watching the clock will not make time go faster.

  2. 2

    To observe over a period of time; to notice or pay attention.

    Watch this!

  3. 3

    To mind, attend, or guard.

    Please watch my suitcase for a minute.

  4. 4

    To be wary or cautious of.

    You should watch that guy. He has a reputation for lying.

  5. 5

    To attend to dangers to or regarding.

    watch your head; watch your step

  6. 6

    To remain awake with a sick or dying person; to maintain a vigil.

  7. 7

    To be vigilant or on one's guard.

    For some must watch, while some must sleep: So runs the world away.

  8. 8

    To act as a lookout.

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

How do you abbreviate watch?

Wiktionary records one abbreviation of watch: WWA.

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

Watch in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchmontre (portable or wearable timepiece), veille (particular time period), garde (person or group of people who guard), poste (place where a watchman is posted), regarder (to look at for a period of time), observer (to observe)
GermanUhr, Armbanduhr (portable or wearable timepiece), Wache (particular time period), ansehen, sehen, zusehen (to look at for a period of time)
Portugueserelógio, relógio de pulso, relógio de bolso (pocketwatch) (portable or wearable timepiece), guarda (particular time period), ver (to look at for a period of time), vigia (the act of guarding)
Spanishreloj, peluco, muñequera, extensible, guasho, washo (portable or wearable timepiece)

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 watch come from?

As a noun, from Middle English wacche, from Old English wæċċe. See below for verb form.

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

What to look up after watch