passage

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

/ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

The verdict

“passage” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,547 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,547
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A paragraph or section of text or music with particular meaning.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

passage vs passive

71% similar

passage vs postage

71% similar

passage vs Passaic

57% similar

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

Key facts for passage
Property	Value
Headword	passage
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#4,547
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	6
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “passage” 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). passage lands here:

#4,547

#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 passage is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,547 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for passage, with forms such as "apssage", "pasage", and "pasasge". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "passive", "postage", "Passaic", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed into Middle English from Old French passage, from passer (“to pass”). The correct English form is passage, spelled P-A-S-S-A-G-E.

Definition

1
A paragraph or section of text or music with particular meaning.
2
Part of a path or journey.
3
An incident or episode.
4
The official approval of a bill or act by a parliament.
5
The advance of time.
6
The use of tight brushwork to link objects in separate spatial plains. Commonly seen in Cubist works.
7
A passageway or corridor.
8
A strait or other narrow waterway.
9
An underground cavity, formed by water or falling rocks, which is much longer than it is wide.
10
The vagina.
11
The act of passing; movement across or through.
12
The right to pass from one place to another.
13
A fee paid for passing or for being conveyed between places.
14
Serial passage.
15
A gambling game for two players using three dice, in which the object is to throw a double over ten.

Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French passage, from passer (“to pass”).

This word in other languages

pasaje(Español)passage(Français)Passus(Deutsch)passagem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apssage,pasage,pasasge,passaeg,passagge,passgae,ppassage,psasage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of passage - 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 "passage"

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 "passage"?

"passage" is spelled P-A-S-S-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/.

What does "passage" mean?

As a noun, "passage" means: A paragraph or section of text or music with particular meaning.

What words are commonly confused with "passage"?

"passage" is commonly confused with "passive", "postage", "Passaic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "passage"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "passage" is /ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "passage"?

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French passage, from passer (“to pass”). 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 “passage”

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

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