paralysis

/pəˈɹæləsəs/

//pəˈɹæləsəs// noun

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

"paralysis" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paralysis” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,465. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,465
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The complete loss of voluntary control of part of a person's body, such as one or more limbs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paralysis · paralysis · English

paralysis · rank #15,465 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,465
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pans

Nearest frequency peer: pans (-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 “paralysis”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “paralysis” 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 paralysis
PropertyValue
Headwordparalysis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəˈɹæləsəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,465
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “paralysis”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).paralysislands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “pans” (#15,464), “patiently” (#15,466), “patrols” (#15,467). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paralysis” is #15,465. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around paralysis (IPA /pəˈɹæləsəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,465 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for paralysis, with forms such as "apralysis", "paarlysis", and "parallysis". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin paralysis, from Ancient Greek παράλυσις (parálusis, “palsy”), from παραλύω (paralúō, “to disable on one side”). By surface analysis, para- + -lysis. Doublet of palsy. The correct English form is paralysis, spelled P-A-R-A-L-Y-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The complete loss of voluntary control of part of a person's body, such as one or more limbs.
  2. 2
    A state of being unable to act.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The government has been in a paralysis since it lost its majority in the parliament.
  2. Until then, the Sunak administration remains a study in ineffectuality on multiple fronts, leading Goldsmith to cite, not unreasonably, “a kind of paralysis”.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin paralysis, from Ancient Greek παράλυσις (parálusis, “palsy”), from παραλύω (paralúō, “to disable on one side”). By surface analysis, para- + -lysis. Doublet of palsy.

Synonyms

immobilitypalsy

This word in other languages

parálisis(Español)paralysie(Français)Paralyse(Deutsch)paralisia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apralysis
  • paarlysis
  • parallysis
  • paralsyis
  • paralyiss
  • paralysiss
  • paralyssi
  • paralyssis
  • paralyysis
  • paraylsis
  • parlaysis
  • parralysis
  • pparalysis
  • praalysis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of paralysis - 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.

apralysis2paarlysis2parallysis1paralsyis2paralyiss2paralysiss1paralyssi2paralyssis1
Edit distance from "paralysis"

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 "paralysis"?
"paralysis" is spelled P-A-R-A-L-Y-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈɹæləsəs/.
What does "paralysis" mean?
As a noun, "paralysis" means: The complete loss of voluntary control of part of a person's body, such as one or more limbs.
What are common misspellings of "paralysis"?
Common misspellings include "apralysis", "paarlysis", "parallysis", "paralsyis", "paralyiss". The correct spelling is "paralysis".
How do you pronounce "paralysis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paralysis" is /pəˈɹæləsəs/. 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 "paralysis"?
Borrowed from Latin paralysis, from Ancient Greek παράλυσις (parálusis, “palsy”), from παραλύω (paralúō, “to disable on one side”). By surface analysis, para- + -lysis. Doublet of palsy. 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 "paralysis", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

patiently#15,466Pinterest#15,475sheltered#15,505speculate#15,513

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

triggering14 variantsvirginity14 variantscrossroads14 variantscorrecting14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list