perhaps

/pəˈhæps/

//pəˈhæps// adv

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

"perhaps" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“perhaps” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #854. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#854
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-perhaps · perhaps · English

perhaps · rank #854 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #854
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH met

Nearest frequency peer: met (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “perhaps”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “perhaps” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for perhaps
PropertyValue
Headwordperhaps
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/pəˈhæps/
Letters7
Frequency rank#854
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “perhaps”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).perhapslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “met” (#853), “poor” (#855), “kill” (#852). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “perhaps” is #854. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around perhaps (IPA /pəˈhæps/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #854 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for perhaps, with forms such as "eprhaps", "pehraps", and "perahps". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance). The correct English form is perhaps, spelled P-E-R-H-A-P-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Possibly.
  2. 2
    By chance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Perhaps John will come over for dinner.
  2. There was a perhaps credible witness.

Etymology

From Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance).

Synonyms

bechancebelikemaybemayhapmayhapsperadventureperchance

This word in other languages

acaso(Español)peut-être(Français)vielleicht(Deutsch)talvez(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprhaps
  • pehraps
  • perahps
  • perhapps
  • perhapss
  • perhasp
  • perhhaps
  • perhpas
  • perrhaps
  • pperhaps
  • prehaps

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eprhaps2pehraps2perahps2perhapps1perhapss1perhasp2perhhaps1perhpas2
Edit distance from "perhaps"

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 "perhaps"?
"perhaps" is spelled P-E-R-H-A-P-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈhæps/.
What does "perhaps" mean?
As an adverb, "perhaps" means: Possibly.
What are common misspellings of "perhaps"?
Common misspellings include "eprhaps", "pehraps", "perahps", "perhapps", "perhapss". The correct spelling is "perhaps".
How do you pronounce "perhaps"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "perhaps" is /pəˈhæps/. 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 "perhaps"?
From Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "perhaps", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

release#856January#851website#860written#861

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

continue11 variantslanguage11 variantsincrease11 variantseconomic11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list