partner

/ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/

//ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)// noun

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

"partner" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“partner” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,532. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,532
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Either of a pair of people or things that belong together.

Corpus desk

Index EN-partner · partner · English

partner · rank #1,532 · 11 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,532
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH notes

Nearest frequency peer: notes (-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 “partner”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “partner” 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).

partner vs porter
71% similar
partner vs patter
71% similar
partner vs partners
88% similar

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

Key facts for partner
PropertyValue
Headwordpartner
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,532
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “partner”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).partnerlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “notes” (#1,531), “plays” (#1,533), “lie” (#1,530). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “partner” is #1,532. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around partner (IPA /ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,532 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for partner, with forms such as "aprtner", "parnter", and "parrtner". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "porter", "patter", "partners", 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 partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”) from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“portion”).… The correct English form is partner, spelled P-A-R-T-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of a pair of people or things that belong together.
  2. 2
    Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.
  3. 3
    Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.
  4. 4
    Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.
  5. 5
    Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.
  6. 6
    Someone who is associated with another in a common activity or interest.
  7. 7
    One of the pieces of wood comprising the framework which strengthens the deck of a wooden ship around the holes through which the mast and other fittings pass.
  8. 8
    A group financial arrangement in which each member contributes a set amount of money over a set period.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. business partner
  2. dance partner

Etymology

From Middle English partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”) from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“portion”). The word may also represent Old French part tenour (“part holder”). Compare also Middle English partifere (“partner”), partifelewe (“partner”). Doublet of parcener.

This word in other languages

compañero(Español)partenaire(Français)Partner(Deutsch)parceiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprtner
  • parnter
  • parrtner
  • partenr
  • partnerr
  • partnner
  • partnre
  • parttner
  • patrner
  • ppartner
  • pratner

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprtner2parnter2parrtner1partenr2partnerr1partnner1partnre2parttner1
Edit distance from "partner"

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 "partner"?
"partner" is spelled P-A-R-T-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/.
What does "partner" mean?
As a noun, "partner" means: Either of a pair of people or things that belong together.
What words are commonly confused with "partner"?
"partner" is commonly confused with "porter", "patter", "partners". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "partner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "partner" is /ˈpɑːt.nə(ɹ)/. 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 "partner"?
From Middle English partener, partiner, alteration (due to Middle English part) of Middle English parcener, from Old French parçonier, parçonneour (“joint heir”) from parçon (“partition”), from Latin partītiōnem, singular accusative of partītiō (“... 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 "partner", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

keeping#1,529sources#1,539stopped#1,542appears#1,518

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

separate11 variantsfinding11 variantswalking11 variantsseconds11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list