# paper

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpeɪ̯.pə/ · frequency rank #910

## Definitions
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. Ellipsis of newspaper; anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).
3. Ellipsis of wallpaper.
4. Ellipsis of wrapping paper.
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. A written document, generally shorter than a book; usually written as a school assignment or a government report.
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. A set of examination questions to be answered at one session.
9. Money.
10. Any financial assets other than specie, including paper money, commercial paper, and others.
11. A university course.
12. A paper packet containing a quantity of items.
13. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application.
14. A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs.
15. Free passes of admission to a theatre, etc.
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).

## Easily confused with
- **per** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-per)
- **par** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-par)
- **PPE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-ppe)
- **pope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pope)
- **pipe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pipe)
- **peer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-peer)
- **pier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pier)
- **Pepe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pepe)
- **pave** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pave)
- **PAPI** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-papi)
- **parr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-parr)
- **pate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pate)
- **pare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pare)
- **power** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-power)
- **Peter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-peter)
- **poker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-poker)
- **pipes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-pipes)
- **piper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-piper)
- **paved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-paved)
- **Patel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-patel)

## Common misspellings (7)
`apper`, `paepr`, `paperr`, `papper`, `papre`, `ppaer`, `ppaper`

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