apprentice

/əˈpɹɛntɪs/

//əˈpɹɛntɪs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"apprentice" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apprentice” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,164. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,164
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.

Corpus desk

Index EN-apprentice · apprentice · English

apprentice · rank #11,164 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,164
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH appoint

Nearest frequency peer: appoint (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “apprentice”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “apprentice” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for apprentice
PropertyValue
Headwordapprentice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpɹɛntɪs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,164
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “apprentice”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).apprenticelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “appoint” (#11,163), “Auckland” (#11,165), “bananas” (#11,166). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “apprentice” is #11,164. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around apprentice (IPA /əˈpɹɛntɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,164 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for apprentice, with forms such as "apperntice", "apprenitce", and "apprenntice". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English apprentice, apprentesse, apprentyse, apprentis, from Old French aprentis, plural of aprentif, from Old French aprendre (verb), Late Latin apprendō, from Classical Latin apprehendō. Compare typologically Latin discipulus (akin to capiō); … The correct English form is apprentice, spelled A-P-P-R-E-N-T-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.
  2. 2
    One who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement to serve a tradesperson, or other person, for a certain time, with a view to learn the art, or trade, in which his master is bound to instruct him.
  3. 3
    One not well versed in a subject; a tyro or newbie.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how apprentice appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. To this end a well-equipped and keenly-run apprentice training school has been in operation at Eastleigh since 1958 and here apprentices are given a good grounding in a number of trades, followed by a thorough training in the trade to which they become allocated.
  2. Scottish rail suppliers have told the Government that they can only reach their target of employing 500 apprentices if they are given a clear pipeline of work, rather than having to endure the current stop-go programme.

Etymology

From Middle English apprentice, apprentesse, apprentyse, apprentis, from Old French aprentis, plural of aprentif, from Old French aprendre (verb), Late Latin apprendō, from Classical Latin apprehendō. Compare typologically Latin discipulus (akin to capiō); Russian схва́тывать на лету́ (sxvátyvatʹ na letú), and for another aspect быть на подхва́те (bytʹ na podxváte) (both akin to хвата́ть (xvatátʹ).

This word in other languages

aprendiz(Español)apprenti(Français)Lehrling(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apperntice
  • apprenitce
  • apprenntice
  • apprentcie
  • apprenticce
  • apprentiec
  • apprenttice
  • appretnice
  • apprnetice
  • apprrentice
  • aprentice
  • aprpentice
  • paprentice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of apprentice - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

apperntice2apprenitce2apprenntice1apprentcie2apprenticce1apprentiec2apprenttice1appretnice2
Edit distance from "apprentice"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "apprentice"?
"apprentice" is spelled A-P-P-R-E-N-T-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɹɛntɪs/.
What does "apprentice" mean?
As a noun, "apprentice" means: A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.
What are common misspellings of "apprentice"?
Common misspellings include "apperntice", "apprenitce", "apprenntice", "apprentcie", "apprenticce". The correct spelling is "apprentice".
How do you pronounce "apprentice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apprentice" is /əˈpɹɛntɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "apprentice"?
From Middle English apprentice, apprentesse, apprentyse, apprentis, from Old French aprentis, plural of aprentif, from Old French aprendre (verb), Late Latin apprendō, from Classical Latin apprehendō. Compare typologically Latin discipulus (akin t... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "apprentice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

comprehend#11,183compulsory#11,184domination#11,202respectful#11,101

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

boulevard13 variantsstationed13 variantssketches13 variantsroutinely13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list