parse

/pɑːz/

//pɑːz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“parse” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,782. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,782
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To resolve (a sentence, etc.) into its elements, pointing out the several parts of speech, and their relation to each other by agreement or government; to analyze and describe grammatically.

Corpus desk

Index EN-parse · parse · English

parse · rank #29,782 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,782
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH paladin

Nearest frequency peer: paladin (-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 “parse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “parse” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

parse vs pas
60% similar
parse vs PRS
0% similar
parse vs part
60% similar

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

Key facts for parse
PropertyValue
Headwordparse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɑːz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#29,782
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “parse”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).parselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “paladin” (#29,781), “pegs” (#29,783), “penises” (#29,784). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “parse” is #29,782. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around parse (IPA /pɑːz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #29,782 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for parse, with forms such as "aprse", "pares", and "parrse". 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. 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: Possibly from Middle English pars (“parts, shares; parts of speech, grammar”), from Old French pars (plural of part (“part, portion, share”)), from Latin pars (“part, piece, share”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to carry forth; to sell”). The correct English form is parse, spelled P-A-R-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To resolve (a sentence, etc.) into its elements, pointing out the several parts of speech, and their relation to each other by agreement or government; to analyze and describe grammatically.
  2. 2
    To examine closely; to scrutinize.
  3. 3
    To split (a file or other input) into pieces of data that can be easily manipulated or stored.
  4. 4
    To resolve (a string of code or text) into its elements to determine if it conforms to a particular grammar.
  5. 5
    Of a string of code or text, sentence, etc.: to conform to rules of grammar, to be syntactically valid.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. This sentence doesn't parse.

Etymology

Possibly from Middle English pars (“parts, shares; parts of speech, grammar”), from Old French pars (plural of part (“part, portion, share”)), from Latin pars (“part, piece, share”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to carry forth; to sell”).

This word in other languages

analizar(Español)analyser(Français)analysieren(Deutsch)analisar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprse
  • pares
  • parrse
  • parsse
  • pasre
  • pparse
  • prase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprse2pares2parrse1parsse1pasre2pparse1prase2
Edit distance from "parse"

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 "parse"?
"parse" is spelled P-A-R-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɑːz/.
What does "parse" mean?
As a verb, "parse" means: To resolve (a sentence, etc.) into its elements, pointing out the several parts of speech, and their relation to each other by agreement or government; to analyze and describe grammatically.
What words are commonly confused with "parse"?
"parse" 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 "parse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parse" is /pɑːz/. 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 "parse"?
Possibly from Middle English pars (“parts, shares; parts of speech, grammar”), from Old French pars (plural of part (“part, portion, share”)), from Latin pars (“part, piece, share”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to carry forth; to sel... 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 "parse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

petri#29,786noose#29,762punks#29,803Rhett#29,814

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

mocha7 variantsRohit7 variantsmillet7 variantsSagan7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list