persistent

/pɚˈsɪstənt/

//pɚˈsɪstənt// adj

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

"persistent" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“persistent” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,329. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,329
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.

Corpus desk

Index EN-persistent · persistent · English

persistent · rank #8,329 · 16 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,329
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Penn

Nearest frequency peer: Penn (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “persistent”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “persistent” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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
PropertyValue
Headwordpersistent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɚˈsɪstənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#8,329
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “persistent” sits in English frequency

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).persistent lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around persistent (IPA /pɚˈsɪstənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,329 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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. 1
    Obstinately refusing to give up or let go.
  2. 2
    Insistently repetitive.
  3. 3
    Indefinitely continuous.
  4. 4
    Lasting past maturity without falling off.
  5. 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. 6
    Describing a fractal process that has a positive Brown function
  7. 7
    non-transient.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She has had a persistent cough for weeks.
  2. The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott.

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.

eprsistent2perisstent2perrsistent1persisetnt2persisstent1persistennt1persistentt1persistetn2
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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "persistent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

misleading#8,318McDonald's#8,315inevitably#8,304horizontal#8,299

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

progression16 variantsindividually16 variantstrafficking16 variantsdiscretion16 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "persistent". Here's where to go from here.

  • "persistent" maps to 4 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "persisting". View pair
  • 16 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,329 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list