perplex
/pɚˈplɛks/
"perplex" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“perplex” 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 cause to feel baffled; to puzzle.
Corpus desk
Index EN-perplex · perplex · English
perplex · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | perplex |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /pɚˈplɛks/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “perplex” in English
Rare enough to double-check
perplex is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /pɚˈplɛks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for perplex in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French, from Latin perplexus (“entangled, confused”), from per (“through”) + plexus, perfect passive participle of plectō (“plait, weave, braid”). The correct English form is perplex, spelled P-E-R-P-L-E-X.
Definition
- 1To cause to feel baffled; to puzzle.
- 2To involve; to entangle; to make intricate or complicated.
- 3To plague; to vex; to torment.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how perplex appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
What was thought obscure, perplexed, and too hard for our weak parts, will lie open to the understanding in a fair view.
The Ways of Heav’n are dark and intricate, Puzzled in Mazes, and perplext with Errors; Our Underſtanding traces ’em in vain, Loſt and bewilder’d in the fruitleſs Search; […]
Etymology
From Old French, from Latin perplexus (“entangled, confused”), from per (“through”) + plexus, perfect passive participle of plectō (“plait, weave, braid”).
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.