parson

/ˈpɑːs(ə)n/

//ˈpɑːs(ə)n// noun

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

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

The verdict

“parson” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,272 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,272
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

parson vs Paton
50% similar
parson vs person
83% similar
parson vs prison
67% similar

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

Key facts for parson
PropertyValue
Headwordparson
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɑːs(ə)n/
Letters6
Frequency rank#36,272
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “parson” 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). parson 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 parson is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɑːs(ə)n/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,272 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for parson, with forms such as "aprson", "parosn", and "parrson". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Paton", "person", "prison", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English persoun, from Anglo-Norman, Old French persone (“parson, person”), from Medieval Latin persona (“parson, person”), from Latin persona (“person”). Doublet of person and persona. The correct English form is parson, spelled P-A-R-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law.
  2. 2
    A Protestant minister.
  3. 3
    A Roman Catholic priest of an independent parish church.

Etymology

From Middle English persoun, from Anglo-Norman, Old French persone (“parson, person”), from Medieval Latin persona (“parson, person”), from Latin persona (“person”). Doublet of person and persona.

This word in other languages

párroco(Español)curé(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aprson,parosn,parrson,parsno,parsonn,parsson,pasron,pparson,prason

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprson2parosn2parrson1parsno2parsonn1parsson1pasron2pparson1
Edit distance from "parson"

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 "parson"?
"parson" is spelled P-A-R-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑːs(ə)n/.
What does "parson" mean?
As a noun, "parson" means: An Anglican cleric having full legal control of a parish under ecclesiastical law.
What words are commonly confused with "parson"?
"parson" is commonly confused with "Paton", "person", "prison". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "parson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "parson" is /ˈpɑːs(ə)n/. 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 "parson"?
From Middle English persoun, from Anglo-Norman, Old French persone (“parson, person”), from Medieval Latin persona (“parson, person”), from Latin persona (“person”). Doublet of person and persona. 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 “parson”

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

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