pass

Name: pass, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/pɑːs/

//pɑːs// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“pass” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #952 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#952
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 3
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To change place.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pass vs PS

0% similar

pass vs pay

50% similar

pass vs pat

50% similar

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

Key facts for pass
Property	Value
Headword	pass
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/pɑːs/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#952
Misspellings tracked	3
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pass” 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). pass lands here:

#952

#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 pass is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɑːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #952 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 40 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for pass, with forms such as "apss", "ppass", and "psas". 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, "PS", "pay", "pat", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English passen, from Old French passer (“to step, walk, pass”), from Vulgar Latin *passāre (“step, walk, pass”), derived from Latin passus (“a step”), from Proto-Italic *pat-s-tus, from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread, stretch out”). Cog… The correct English form is pass, spelled P-A-S-S.

Definition

1
To change place.
2
To change place.
3
To change place.
4
To change place.
5
To change place.
6
To change place.
7
To change place.
8
To change place.
9
To change place.
10
To change place.
11
To change place.
12
To change place.
13
To change place.
14
To change in state or status
15
To change in state or status
16
To change in state or status
17
To change in state or status
18
To change in state or status
19
To change in state or status
20
To change in state or status
21
To change in state or status
22
To change in state or status
23
To change in state or status
24
To move through time.
25
To move through time.
26
To move through time.
27
To move through time.
28
To move through time.
29
To move through time.
30
To move through time.
31
To be accepted.
32
To be accepted.
33
To refrain from doing something.
34
To refrain from doing something.
35
To refrain from doing something.
36
To refrain from doing something.
37
To refrain from doing something.
38
To do or be better.
39
To do or be better.
40
To take heed, to have an interest, to care.

Etymology

From Middle English passen, from Old French passer (“to step, walk, pass”), from Vulgar Latin *passāre (“step, walk, pass”), derived from Latin passus (“a step”), from Proto-Italic *pat-s-tus, from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread, stretch out”). Cognate with Old English fæþm (“armful, fathom”). More at fathom. Displaced native Old English genġan.

This word in other languages

pasar(Español)passer(Français)reichen(Deutsch)passar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apss,ppass,psas

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "pass"

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 "pass"?

"pass" is spelled P-A-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pɑːs/.

What does "pass" mean?

As a verb, "pass" means: To change place.

What words are commonly confused with "pass"?

"pass" is commonly confused with "PS", "pay", "pat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "pass"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pass" is /pɑːs/. 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 "pass"?

From Middle English passen, from Old French passer (“to step, walk, pass”), from Vulgar Latin *passāre (“step, walk, pass”), derived from Latin passus (“a step”), from Proto-Italic *pat-s-tus, from Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- (“to spread, stretch ... 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 “pass”

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

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