watchdog
/ˈwɑːt͡ʃˌdɑːɡ/noun, verb
watchdog is spelled W-A-T-C-H-D-O-G: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, watchdog means “A guard dog” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of watchdog is watchdogs.
How many letters and syllables are in watchdog?
| Letters | 8: W-A-T-C-H-D-O-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,651st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 watchdog?
Watchdog appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st 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 watchdog?
- US /ˈwɑːt͡ʃˌdɑːɡ/
- UK /ˈwɒt͡ʃˌdɒɡ/
Watchdog 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-watchdog.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-watchdog.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with watchdog
Also written: watch-dog (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of watchdog
- watchdogs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- watchdogging participle, present
- watchdogged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does watchdog mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A guard dog.
- 2
An individual or group that monitors the activities of another entity (such as an individual, corporation, non-profit group, or governmental organization) on behalf of the public to ensure that entity does not behave illegally or unethically.
- 3
Ellipsis of watchdog timer.
verb
- 1
To perform a function analogous to that of a watchdog; to guard and warn.
- 2
To be continuously reset by a watchdog timer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Watchdog in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense individual or group that monitors:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | vigilância |
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 watchdog come from?
From watch + dog.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).