paratrooper

/ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/

//ˈpæɹətɹuːpə// noun

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

"paratrooper" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paratrooper” is uncommon English (frequency #52,543 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,543
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.

Key facts for paratrooper
PropertyValue
Headwordparatrooper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/
Letters11
Frequency rank#52,543
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “paratrooper” 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). paratrooper lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

paratrooper is uncommon English at frequency #52,543 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for paratrooper, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Blend of parachute + trooper. The correct English form is paratrooper, spelled P-A-R-A-T-R-O-O-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.

Etymology

Blend of parachute + trooper.

This word in other languages

paracaidista(Español)para(Français)Fallschirmjäger(Deutsch)paraquedista(Português)

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 "paratrooper"?
"paratrooper" is spelled P-A-R-A-T-R-O-O-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/.
What does "paratrooper" mean?
As a noun, "paratrooper" means: A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.
How do you pronounce "paratrooper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paratrooper" is /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/. 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 "paratrooper"?
Blend of parachute + trooper. 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 “paratrooper”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-R-A-T-R-O-O-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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