Paris

/ˈpæɹ.ɪs/

//ˈpæɹ.ɪs// name

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

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

The verdict

“Paris” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,609 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#1,609
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The capital and largest city of France.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Paris vs pas
40% similar
Paris vs PRS
20% similar
Paris vs part
40% similar

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

Key facts for Paris
PropertyValue
HeadwordParis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈpæɹ.ɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,609
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Paris” 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). Paris 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 Paris is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæɹ.ɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,609 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 32 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for Paris, with forms such as "apris", "pariss", and "parris". 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, "pas", "PRS", "part", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Parys, Paris, from Old French Paris, from the Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lutetia Parisiorum (“Lutetia of the Parisii”), from Latin Parīsiī, a Gaulish tribe, from Transalpine Gaulish *parios (“cauldron”), from Proto-Celtic … The correct English form is Paris, spelled P-A-R-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The capital and largest city of France.
  2. 2
    A department of Île-de-France, France.
  3. 3
    The government of France.
  4. 4
    A locale named after the French city.
  5. 5
    A locale named after the French city.
  6. 6
    A locale named after the French city.
  7. 7
    A locale named after the French city.
  8. 8
    A locale named after the French city.
  9. 9
    A locale named after the French city.
  10. 10
    A locale named after the French city.
  11. 11
    A locale named after the French city.
  12. 12
    A locale named after the French city.
  13. 13
    A locale named after the French city.
  14. 14
    A locale named after the French city.
  15. 15
    A locale named after the French city.
  16. 16
    A locale named after the French city.
  17. 17
    A locale named after the French city.
  18. 18
    A locale named after the French city.
  19. 19
    A locale named after the French city.
  20. 20
    A locale named after the French city.
  21. 21
    A locale named after the French city.
  22. 22
    A locale named after the French city.
  23. 23
    A locale named after the French city.
  24. 24
    A locale named after the French city.
  25. 25
    A locale named after the French city.
  26. 26
    A locale named after the French city.
  27. 27
    A locale named after the French city.
  28. 28
    A locale named after the French city.
  29. 29
    A community in Ontario; named for nearby gypsum deposits, used to make plaster of Paris (itself named for the city).
  30. 30
    An English habitational surname from Old French for someone from Paris.
  31. 31
    A male given name from place name.
  32. 32
    A female given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage, usually from the French city.

Etymology

From Middle English Parys, Paris, from Old French Paris, from the Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lutetia Parisiorum (“Lutetia of the Parisii”), from Latin Parīsiī, a Gaulish tribe, from Transalpine Gaulish *parios (“cauldron”), from Proto-Celtic *kʷaryos, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer-. Doublet of Parizh.

This word in other languages

París(Español)Paris(Français)Paris(Deutsch)Paris(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apris,pariss,parris,parsi,pparis,prais

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apris2pariss1parris1parsi2pparis1prais2
Edit distance from "Paris"

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 "Paris"?
"Paris" is spelled P-A-R-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹ.ɪs/.
What does "Paris" mean?
As a proper noun, "Paris" means: The capital and largest city of France.
What words are commonly confused with "Paris"?
"Paris" is commonly confused with "pas", "PRS", "part". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Paris"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Paris" is /ˈpæɹ.ɪs/. 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 "Paris"?
From Middle English Parys, Paris, from Old French Paris, from the Late Latin name of an earlier settlement, Lutetia Parisiorum (“Lutetia of the Parisii”), from Latin Parīsiī, a Gaulish tribe, from Transalpine Gaulish *parios (“cauldron”), from Pro... 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 “Paris”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-R-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpæɹ.ɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pas” - see the side-by-side comparison. Paris vs pas
  • 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