perm
/pɝm/noun, verb
perm is spelled P-E-R-M: 4 letters. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, perm means “Clipping of permanent wave (“hairstyle”)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of perm is perms.
How many letters and syllables are in perm?
| Letters | 4: P-E-R-M |
|---|---|
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is perm?
Perm appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce perm?
- US /pɝm/
- UK /pɜːm/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-perm.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with perm?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as perm from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹm/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: prem.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of perm
- perms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- perming participle, present
- permed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does perm mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Clipping of permanent wave (“hairstyle”).
- 2
informalA permutation.
- 3
A combination of outcomes (not a permutation) that a gambler bets on in the football pools.
- 4
Permission
verb
- 1
To give hair a perm, using heat, chemicals etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Perm in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense To treat hair, to give waves, by using heat and chemicals:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | permanenter |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does perm come from?
Short for permanent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).