partridge

/ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

"partridge" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“partridge” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,465. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,465
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any bird of a number of genera in the family Phasianidae, notably in the genera Perdix and Alectoris.

Corpus desk

Index EN-partridge · partridge · English

partridge · rank #22,465 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #22,465
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH paramilitary

Nearest frequency peer: paramilitary (-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 “partridge”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “partridge” 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).

partridge vs porridge
78% similar

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

Key facts for partridge
PropertyValue
Headwordpartridge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,465
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “partridge”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “paramilitary” (#22,464), “patrolling” (#22,466), “Paralympics” (#22,463). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “partridge” is #22,465. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around partridge (IPA /ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,465 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for partridge, with forms such as "aprtridge", "parrtidge", and "parrtridge". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "porridge", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English partrich, partriche, pertriche, perdriz, from Old French perdriz, partriz, from Latin perdīx (“partridge”), from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ (pérdix, “partridge”), probably from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “to fart”). The correct English form is partridge, spelled P-A-R-T-R-I-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any bird of a number of genera in the family Phasianidae, notably in the genera Perdix and Alectoris.
  2. 2
    The flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food.
  3. 3
    A type of cannon charge composed of several missiles fired all together, similar to langrage or case-shot. Also a large cannon that shoots stones.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree.
  2. ...and the loudest sound in the lonely fields was when, adventuring too near some late brood, the partridge sought to deceive by a plaintive cry and seeming helplessness, crossing before your very feet, till, when drawn to a sufficient distance, suddenly the air vibrated to the flutter of her active pinions.

Etymology

From Middle English partrich, partriche, pertriche, perdriz, from Old French perdriz, partriz, from Latin perdīx (“partridge”), from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ (pérdix, “partridge”), probably from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “to fart”).

This word in other languages

perdiz(Español)perdrix(Français)Rebhuhn(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aprtridge
  • parrtidge
  • parrtridge
  • partirdge
  • partrdige
  • partriddge
  • partrideg
  • partridgge
  • partrigde
  • partrridge
  • parttridge
  • patrridge
  • ppartridge
  • pratridge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aprtridge2parrtidge2parrtridge1partirdge2partrdige2partriddge1partrideg2partridgge1
Edit distance from "partridge"

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 "partridge"?
"partridge" is spelled P-A-R-T-R-I-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "partridge" mean?
As a noun, "partridge" means: Any bird of a number of genera in the family Phasianidae, notably in the genera Perdix and Alectoris.
What words are commonly confused with "partridge"?
"partridge" is commonly confused with "porridge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "partridge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "partridge" is /ˈpɑːtɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "partridge"?
From Middle English partrich, partriche, pertriche, perdriz, from Old French perdriz, partriz, from Latin perdīx (“partridge”), from Ancient Greek πέρδιξ (pérdix, “partridge”), probably from πέρδομαι (pérdomai, “to fart”). 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 "partridge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

onslaught#22,457obscurity#22,454recapture#22,480meteorite#22,439

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

patrolling14 variantsrecurrence14 variantsLithuanian14 variantsspiderman14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list