# perm vs pry

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### perm
*noun · IPA /pɝm/ · frequency rank #24,863*
Clipping of permanent wave (“hairstyle”).

### pry
*verb · IPA /pɹaɪ/ · frequency rank #26,212*
To peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public.

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