parrot

/ˈpæɹət/

//ˈpæɹət// noun

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

"parrot" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“parrot” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,240 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,240
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A kind of bird, many species of which are colorful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

parrot vs part
67% similar
parrot vs Prot
50% similar
parrot vs parry
67% similar

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

Key facts for parrot
PropertyValue
Headwordparrot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæɹət/
Letters6
Frequency rank#15,240
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “parrot” 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). parrot 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 parrot is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæɹət/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,240 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for parrot, with forms such as "aprrot", "parort", and "parot". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "part", "Prot", "parry", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1525. From Middle French perrot, either a diminutive of Pierre or a shortened form of perroquet (whence also parakeet). Compare French pierrot and Occitan parrat. A number of origins have been suggested for perroquet, such as Spanish periq… The correct English form is parrot, spelled P-A-R-R-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A kind of bird, many species of which are colorful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.
  2. 2
    A parroter; a person who repeats the words or ideas of others.
  3. 3
    A puffin.
  4. 4
    channel coal.
  5. 5
    A transponder.

Etymology

First attested in 1525. From Middle French perrot, either a diminutive of Pierre or a shortened form of perroquet (whence also parakeet). Compare French pierrot and Occitan parrat. A number of origins have been suggested for perroquet, such as Spanish periquito and Italian parrocchetto. The relationship between these various words is disputed. Replaced earlier popinjay.

Synonyms

parrot

This word in other languages

papagayo(Español)perroquet(Français)Papagei(Deutsch)papagaio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aprrot,parort,parot,parrott,parrto,pparrot,prarot

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprrot2parort2parot1parrott1parrto2pparrot1prarot2
Edit distance from "parrot"

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 "parrot"?
"parrot" is spelled P-A-R-R-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹət/.
What does "parrot" mean?
As a noun, "parrot" means: A kind of bird, many species of which are colorful and able to mimic human speech, of the order Psittaciformes or (narrowly) of the family Psittacidae.
What words are commonly confused with "parrot"?
"parrot" is commonly confused with "part", "Prot", "parry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parrot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parrot" is /ˈpæɹət/. 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 "parrot"?
First attested in 1525. From Middle French perrot, either a diminutive of Pierre or a shortened form of perroquet (whence also parakeet). Compare French pierrot and Occitan parrat. A number of origins have been suggested for perroquet, such as Spa... 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 “parrot”

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

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