pause

/pɔːz/

//pɔːz// verb

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

"pause" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pause” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,166 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,166
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pause vs pus
60% similar
pause vs plus
60% similar
pause vs push
60% similar

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

Key facts for pause
PropertyValue
Headwordpause
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɔːz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,166
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pause” 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). pause 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 pause is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɔːz/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,166 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pause, with forms such as "apuse", "pasue", and "paues". 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, "pus", "plus", "push", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French pause, from Latin pausa, from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis), from Ancient Greek παύω (paúō, “stop”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of pausa. The correct English form is pause, spelled P-A-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.
  2. 2
    To stop (an activity) for a while.
  3. 3
    To interrupt an activity and wait.
  4. 4
    To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.
  5. 5
    To halt the play or playback of, temporarily, so that it can be resumed from the same point.
  6. 6
    To consider; to reflect.

Etymology

From Middle French pause, from Latin pausa, from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis), from Ancient Greek παύω (paúō, “stop”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of pausa.

This word in other languages

descansar(Español)faire une pause(Français)pausieren(Deutsch)descansar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apuse,pasue,paues,pausse,ppause,puase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pause - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apuse2pasue2paues2pausse1ppause1puase2
Edit distance from "pause"

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 "pause"?
"pause" is spelled P-A-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɔːz/.
What does "pause" mean?
As a verb, "pause" means: To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.
What words are commonly confused with "pause"?
"pause" is commonly confused with "pus", "plus", "push". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pause"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pause" is /pɔːz/. 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 "pause"?
From Middle French pause, from Latin pausa, from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis), from Ancient Greek παύω (paúō, “stop”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of pausa. 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 “pause”

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

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