apropos

/ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ/

//ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ// adj

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

"apropos" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apropos” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,002. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,002
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of an appropriate or pertinent nature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-apropos · apropos · English

apropos · rank #42,002 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #42,002
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Archimedes

Nearest frequency peer: Archimedes (+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 “apropos”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “apropos” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

apropos vs aprons
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for apropos
PropertyValue
Headwordapropos
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,002
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “apropos”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).aproposlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Archimedes” (#42,003), “answerable” (#42,000), “Arran” (#42,004). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “apropos” is #42,002. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around apropos (IPA /ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #42,002 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for apropos, with forms such as "aporpos", "appropos", and "aproops". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "aprons", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French à propos (“on that subject”). Similar in meaning and form, and to some extent etymology, to appropriate, but not a doublet of it. The correct English form is apropos, spelled A-P-R-O-P-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of an appropriate or pertinent nature.
  2. 2
    By the way, incidental.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Nothing easier. I received not long ago a map from my friend, Augustus Petermann, at Leipzig. Nothing could be more apropos.
  2. A particularly apropos line many will remember from this film was the closing shot of a Times editorial reading "Is There No Sense of Decency?"

Etymology

Borrowed from French à propos (“on that subject”). Similar in meaning and form, and to some extent etymology, to appropriate, but not a doublet of it.

Synonyms

by the wayincidentallyincidental

This word in other languages

pertinente(Español)à propos(Français)apropriado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aporpos
  • appropos
  • aproops
  • aproposs
  • aproppos
  • apropso
  • aprpoos
  • aprropos
  • arpopos
  • paropos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of apropos - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aporpos2appropos1aproops2aproposs1aproppos1apropso2aprpoos2aprropos1
Edit distance from "apropos"

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 "apropos"?
"apropos" is spelled A-P-R-O-P-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ/.
What does "apropos" mean?
As an adjective, "apropos" means: Of an appropriate or pertinent nature.
What words are commonly confused with "apropos"?
"apropos" is commonly confused with "aprons". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "apropos"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apropos" is /ˌæp.ɹəˈpəʊ/. 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 "apropos"?
Borrowed from French à propos (“on that subject”). Similar in meaning and form, and to some extent etymology, to appropriate, but not a doublet of it. 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 "apropos", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Andorra#41,998ageless#41,983beeping#42,022Blakely#42,031

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

bailiffs10 variantsaberrant10 variantsBoateng10 variantsYerevan10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list