password

/ˈpæs.wɜɹd/

//ˈpæs.wɜɹd// noun

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

"password" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“password” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,498 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,498
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

password vs passport
75% similar

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

Key facts for password
PropertyValue
Headwordpassword
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæs.wɜɹd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#6,498
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “password” 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). password lands here:

#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 password is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,498 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for password, with forms such as "apssword", "passowrd", and "passwodr". 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, "passport", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pass + word. The sentry-passing sense predates the cryptographic sense and was its inspiration. The correct English form is password, spelled P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.
  2. 2
    A string of characters used to log in to a computer or network, to access a level in a video game, and so on; archetypally a word but nowadays often an alphanumeric string or a phrase.

Etymology

From pass + word. The sentry-passing sense predates the cryptographic sense and was its inspiration.

Synonyms

watchwordunderwordpasscodekeywordabbreviations: pwpwdpwordpass

This word in other languages

contraseña(Español)mot de passe(Français)Codewort(Deutsch)senha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apssword,passowrd,passwodr,passwordd,passworrd,passwrod,passwword,pasword,paswsord,ppassword,psasword

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apssword2passowrd2passwodr2passwordd1passworrd1passwrod2passwword1pasword1
Edit distance from "password"

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 "password"?
"password" is spelled P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/.
What does "password" mean?
As a noun, "password" means: A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.
What words are commonly confused with "password"?
"password" is commonly confused with "passport". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "password"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "password" is /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/. 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 "password"?
From pass + word. The sentry-passing sense predates the cryptographic sense and was its inspiration. 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 “password”

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

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list