paper

/ˈpeɪ̯.pə/

//ˈpeɪ̯.pə// noun

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

"paper" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paper” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #910 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#910
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

paper vs per
60% similar
paper vs par
60% similar
paper vs PPE
0% similar

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

Key facts for paper
PropertyValue
Headwordpaper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpeɪ̯.pə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#910
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “paper” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for paper is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/. Corpus data places it at rank #910 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for paper, with forms such as "apper", "paepr", and "paperr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "per", "par", "PPE", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English paper, from Anglo-Norman paper, from Old Catalan paper, borrowed from Latin papȳrus (and given the Catalan suffix -er), from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros). The correct English form is paper, spelled P-A-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
  2. 2
    Ellipsis of newspaper; anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of wallpaper.
  4. 4
    Ellipsis of wrapping paper.
  5. 5
    An open hand (a handshape resembling a sheet of paper), that beats rock and loses to scissors. It loses to lizard and beats Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
  6. 6
    A written document, generally shorter than a book; usually written as a school assignment or a government report.
  7. 7
    A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal (as a journal article or the manuscript for one) or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting (such as a conference, workshop, or symposium).
  8. 8
    A set of examination questions to be answered at one session.
  9. 9
    Money.
  10. 10
    Any financial assets other than specie, including paper money, commercial paper, and others.
  11. 11
    A university course.
  12. 12
    A paper packet containing a quantity of items.
  13. 13
    A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application.
  14. 14
    A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs.
  15. 15
    Free passes of admission to a theatre, etc.
  16. 16
    The people admitted by free passes.

Etymology

From Middle English paper, from Anglo-Norman paper, from Old Catalan paper, borrowed from Latin papȳrus (and given the Catalan suffix -er), from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros).

This word in other languages

papel(Español)papier(Français)Papier(Deutsch)papel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apper,paepr,paperr,papper,papre,ppaer,ppaper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of paper - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apper2paepr2paperr1papper1papre2ppaer2ppaper1
Edit distance from "paper"

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 "paper"?
"paper" is spelled P-A-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/.
What does "paper" mean?
As a noun, "paper" means: A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.
What words are commonly confused with "paper"?
"paper" is commonly confused with "per", "par", "PPE". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "paper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paper" is /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/. 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 "paper"?
From Middle English paper, from Anglo-Norman paper, from Old Catalan paper, borrowed from Latin papȳrus (and given the Catalan suffix -er), from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros). 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.

Using “paper”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “per” - see the side-by-side comparison. paper vs per
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list