persevere

/ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/

//ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə// verb

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

"persevere" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“persevere” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,533. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,533
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-persevere · persevere · English

persevere · rank #30,533 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,533
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH peeking

Nearest frequency peer: peeking (-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 “persevere”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “persevere” 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 persevere
PropertyValue
Headwordpersevere
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#30,533
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “persevere”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).perseverelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “peeking” (#30,532), “Pfeiffer” (#30,534), “pathogenic” (#30,531). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “persevere” is #30,533. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around persevere (IPA /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #30,533 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for persevere, with forms such as "eprsevere", "peresvere", and "perrsevere". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Doublet of p… The correct English form is persevere, spelled P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.
  2. 2
    To stay constant; to continue in a certain state; to remain.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.
  2. Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered in seeking it.

Etymology

From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Doublet of perseverate.

Synonyms

abideastandbear upcarry oncontinueendurefollow uphang in therehold onhold outhold the linehold upkeep a stiff upper lipkeep tryingkeep upperseverepersistplodplugplug awayresistsoldier onstaystay the coursestay the distancestick it outstick tostick by one's gunsstick to one's gunsstick withstick with it

Antonyms

ceasedesistgive upquitstopsurrenderyield

This word in other languages

perseverar(Español)persévérer(Français)ausharren(Deutsch)perseverar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprsevere
  • peresvere
  • perrsevere
  • perseevre
  • perseveer
  • perseverre
  • persevree
  • persevvere
  • perssevere
  • persveere
  • pesrevere
  • ppersevere
  • presevere

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of persevere - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eprsevere2peresvere2perrsevere1perseevre2perseveer2perseverre1persevree2persevvere1
Edit distance from "persevere"

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 "persevere"?
"persevere" is spelled P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/.
What does "persevere" mean?
As a verb, "persevere" means: To persist steadfastly in pursuit of an undertaking, task, journey, or goal, even if hindered by distraction, difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement.
What are common misspellings of "persevere"?
Common misspellings include "eprsevere", "peresvere", "perrsevere", "perseevre", "perseveer". The correct spelling is "persevere".
How do you pronounce "persevere"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "persevere" is /ˌpɜːsəˈvɪə/. 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 "persevere"?
From Middle English perseveren, from Old French perseverer, from Latin persevērāre (“to continue steadfastly, persist, persevere”), from perseverus (“very strict or earnest”), from per (“through, by the means of”) + severus (“strict, earnest”). Do... 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 "persevere", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Patagonia#30,530playfully#30,539melatonin#30,499soldering#30,595

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

oscillator13 variantsregressive13 variantsrumbling13 variantsSandusky13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list