permute

/pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt/

//pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt// verb

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To change the order of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-permute · permute · English

permute · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 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 permute
PropertyValue
Headwordpermute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “permute” in English

permutesits 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

permute is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for permute, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. 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: From Middle English permuten, from Old French permuter, from Latin permūtāre. The correct English form is permute, spelled P-E-R-M-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To change the order of.
  2. 2
    To make a permutation of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. to permute the data

Etymology

From Middle English permuten, from Old French permuter, from Latin permūtāre.

This word in other languages

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 "permute"?
"permute" is spelled P-E-R-M-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt/.
What does "permute" mean?
As a verb, "permute" means: To change the order of.
How do you pronounce "permute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "permute" is /pə(ɹ)ˈmjuːt/. 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 "permute"?
From Middle English permuten, from Old French permuter, from Latin permūtāre. 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