passim

/ˈpæsɪm/

//ˈpæsɪm// adv

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

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

The verdict

“passim” is uncommon English (frequency #97,420 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,420
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Throughout (used in citations to indicate that something, as a word, phrase, or idea, is to be found at many places throughout the work cited).

Key facts for passim
PropertyValue
Headwordpassim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈpæsɪm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#97,420
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “passim” 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). passim lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

passim is uncommon English at frequency #97,420 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈpæsɪm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Throughout (used in citations to indicate that something, as a word, phrase, or idea, is to be found at many places throughout the work cited).".

passim doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Latin passim (“here and there, everywhere”). The correct English form is passim, spelled P-A-S-S-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Throughout (used in citations to indicate that something, as a word, phrase, or idea, is to be found at many places throughout the work cited).

Etymology

From the Latin passim (“here and there, everywhere”).

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 "passim"?
"passim" is spelled P-A-S-S-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæsɪm/.
What does "passim" mean?
As an adverb, "passim" means: Throughout (used in citations to indicate that something, as a word, phrase, or idea, is to be found at many places throughout the work cited).
How do you pronounce "passim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "passim" is /ˈpæsɪm/. 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 "passim"?
From the Latin passim (“here and there, everywhere”). 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 “passim”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-S-S-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpæsɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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