# password

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/ · frequency rank #6,498

## Definitions
1. A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.
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.

## Easily confused with
- **passport** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/passport-vs-password)

## Common misspellings (11)
`apssword`, `passowrd`, `passwodr`, `passwordd`, `passworrd`, `passwrod`, `passwword`, `pasword`, `paswsord`, `ppassword`, `psasword`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/password