per annum

prep_phrase

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

The verdict

“per annum” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a year.

Corpus desk

Index EN-per-annum · per annum · English

per annum · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for per annum
PropertyValue
Headwordper annum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “per annum” in English

per annumsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

per annum is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

per annum has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin per annum, English from the 16th century. The correct English form is per annum, spelled P-E-R- -A-N-N-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a year.
  2. 2
    For a year.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how per annum appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Areas of no more than ten acres of crown land may be granted as bee-arms on annual licenses, the rent being one shilling an acre per annum.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin per annum, English from the 16th century.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "per annum"?
"per annum" is spelled P-E-R- -A-N-N-U-M.
What does "per annum" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "per annum" means: In a year.
What is the origin of the word "per annum"?
Borrowed from Late Latin per annum, English from the 16th century. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list