persuade

/pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/

//pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd// verb

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

"persuade" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“persuade” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,379. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,379
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To successfully convince (someone) to agree to, accept, or do something, usually through reasoning and verbal influence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-persuade · persuade · English

persuade · rank #9,379 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,379
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pier

Nearest frequency peer: pier (+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 “persuade”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “persuade” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

persuade vs persuaded
89% similar

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

Key facts for persuade
PropertyValue
Headwordpersuade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,379
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “persuade”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “pier” (#9,380), “pardon” (#9,377), “poured” (#9,381). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “persuade” is #9,379. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around persuade (IPA /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,379 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for persuade, with forms such as "eprsuade", "perrsuade", and "persaude". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "persuaded", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin persuādeō (“to persuade”). Cognate to for, sweet. The correct English form is persuade, spelled P-E-R-S-U-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To successfully convince (someone) to agree to, accept, or do something, usually through reasoning and verbal influence.
  2. 2
    To convince of by argument, or by reasons offered or suggested from reflection, etc.; to cause to believe (something).
  3. 3
    To urge, plead; to try to convince (someone to do something).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That salesman was able to persuade me into buying this bottle of lotion.
  2. [VV]e are able with playne demonſtration to proue, and vvith reaſon to perſvvade that in tymes paſt our fayth vvas alike, that then vve preached thinges correſpondent vnto the forme of faith already published of vs, ſo that none in this behalfe can repyne or gaynesay vs.

Etymology

From Latin persuādeō (“to persuade”). Cognate to for, sweet.

Synonyms

arguegetswaytalk intobring roundconvictconvincedrawgain overpersuadepimpprevail uponprocurepushsuadetalk aroundtalk overwash withwin over

Antonyms

deterdissuademispersuadeunconvinceunpersuade

This word in other languages

persuadir(Español)persuader(Français)überreden(Deutsch)persuadir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eprsuade
  • perrsuade
  • persaude
  • perssuade
  • persuadde
  • persuaed
  • persudae
  • perusade
  • pesruade
  • ppersuade
  • presuade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of persuade - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

eprsuade2perrsuade1persaude2perssuade1persuadde1persuaed2persudae2perusade2
Edit distance from "persuade"

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 "persuade"?
"persuade" is spelled P-E-R-S-U-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/.
What does "persuade" mean?
As a verb, "persuade" means: To successfully convince (someone) to agree to, accept, or do something, usually through reasoning and verbal influence.
What words are commonly confused with "persuade"?
"persuade" is commonly confused with "persuaded". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "persuade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "persuade" is /pə(ɹ)ˈsweɪd/. 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 "persuade"?
From Latin persuādeō (“to persuade”). Cognate to for, sweet. 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 "persuade", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

numbered#9,374rainfall#9,386reckless#9,388murderer#9,368

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Timothy11 variantsglobally11 variantsAberdeen11 variantsdragging11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list