paraphrase

Name: paraphrase, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz/

//ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“paraphrase” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,544. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,544
frequency rank, English: 4,417
“P” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning or from memory rather than verbatim.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paraphrase · paraphrase · English

paraphrase · rank #26,544 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #26,544
LEN-MEGA 10 letters
VOW-4 4 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 15 variants
BOOK-MID 4,417
PHOTO-FINISH Pacquiao

Nearest frequency peer: Pacquiao (-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.

oxidative

73,460
pacifist

73,459
Pacquiao

73,458
paraphrase

73,457
pathfinder

73,456
pedagogical

73,455

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

Key facts for paraphrase
Property	Value
Headword	paraphrase
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#26,544
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “paraphrase”

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).paraphraselands here:

#26,544

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Pacquiao” (#26,543), “pathfinder” (#26,545), “pacifist” (#26,542). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paraphrase” is #26,544. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around paraphrase (IPA /ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,544 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for paraphrase, with forms such as "apraphrase", "paarphrase", and "parahprase". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French paraphrase. The correct English form is paraphrase, spelled P-A-R-A-P-H-R-A-S-E.

Definition

1
A restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning or from memory rather than verbatim.
2
One of a certain number of Scripture passages turned into verse for use in the service of praise.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

Near-synonym: paraphrasis
close paraphrase

Etymology

From Middle French paraphrase.

This word in other languages

paráfrasis(Español)paraphrase(Français)Umschreibung(Deutsch)paráfrase(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

apraphrase
paarphrase
parahprase
parapharse
paraphhrase
paraphraes
paraphrasse
paraphrrase
paraphrsae
parapphrase
paraprhase
parpahrase
parraphrase
pparaphrase
praaphrase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "paraphrase"

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 "paraphrase"?

"paraphrase" is spelled P-A-R-A-P-H-R-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz/.

What does "paraphrase" mean?

As a noun, "paraphrase" means: A restatement of a text in different words, often to clarify meaning or from memory rather than verbatim.

What are common misspellings of "paraphrase"?

Common misspellings include "apraphrase", "paarphrase", "parahprase", "parapharse", "paraphhrase". The correct spelling is "paraphrase".

How do you pronounce "paraphrase"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paraphrase" is /ˈpæɹəfɹeɪz/. 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 "paraphrase"?

From Middle French paraphrase. 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 "paraphrase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

pathfinder#26,545 outlandish#26,539 obtainable#26,533 O'Sullivan#26,530

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

primordial15 variants purposeful15 variants mysticism15 variants scripting15 variants