persistent

Name: persistent, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/pɚˈsɪstənt/

//pɚˈsɪstənt// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“persistent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,329 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,329
frequency rank, English: 10
letters: 16
tracked misspellings: 4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

persistent vs persisting

80% similar

persistent vs persistently

83% similar

persistent vs persisted

80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for persistent
Property	Value
Headword	persistent
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/pɚˈsɪstənt/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#8,329
Misspellings tracked	16
Confusable pairs	4
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “persistent” sits in English frequency

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

#8,329

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for persistent is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɚˈsɪstənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,329 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for persistent, with forms such as "eprsistent", "perisstent", and "perrsistent". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "persisting", "persistently", "persisted", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin persistentem, present participle of persistō (“continue steadfastly”). By surface analysis, persist + -ent. The correct English form is persistent, spelled P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-T.

Definition

1
Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.
2
Insistently repetitive.
3
Indefinitely continuous.
4
Lasting past maturity without falling off.
5
Of data or a data structure: not transient or temporary, but remaining in existence after the termination of the program that creates it.
6
Describing a fractal process that has a positive Brown function
7
non-transient.

Etymology

From Latin persistentem, present participle of persistō (“continue steadfastly”). By surface analysis, persist + -ent.

This word in other languages

persistente(Español)persistant(Français)ausdauernd(Deutsch)persistente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eprsistent,perisstent,perrsistent,persisetnt,persisstent,persistennt,persistentt,persistetn,persistnet,persisttent,persitsent,perssistent,perssitent,pesristent,ppersistent,presistent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "persistent"

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 "persistent"?

"persistent" is spelled P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɚˈsɪstənt/.

What does "persistent" mean?

As an adjective, "persistent" means: Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.

What words are commonly confused with "persistent"?

"persistent" is commonly confused with "persisting", "persistently", "persisted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "persistent"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "persistent" is /pɚˈsɪstənt/. 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 "persistent"?

From Latin persistentem, present participle of persistō (“continue steadfastly”). By surface analysis, persist + -ent. 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.

Using “persistent”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-S-I-S-T-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /pɚˈsɪstənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “persisting” - see the side-by-side comparison. persistent vs persisting
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.