phase

/feɪz/

//feɪz// noun

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

"phase" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“phase” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,306. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,306
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.

Corpus desk

Index EN-phase · phase · English

phase · rank #2,306 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,306
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH mixed

Nearest frequency peer: mixed (-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 “phase”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “phase” 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).

phase vs pose
60% similar
phase vs phat
60% similar
phase vs place
60% similar

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

Key facts for phase
PropertyValue
Headwordphase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/feɪz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,306
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “phase” 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). phase 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 7 spelling variants around phase (IPA /feɪz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,306 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for phase, with forms such as "hpase", "pahse", and "phaes". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pose", "phat", "place", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin phasis, from Ancient Greek φάσις (phásis, “an appearance”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to cause to appear”); compare phantasm and see face. The correct English form is phase, spelled P-H-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.
  2. 2
    That which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances of the same object.
  3. 3
    Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view.
  4. 4
    A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form, or the absence, of a body's illuminated disk. Illustrated in Wikipedia's article Lunar phase.
  5. 5
    Any one point or portion in a recurring series of changes, as in the changes of motion of one of the particles constituting a wave or vibration; one portion of a series of such changes, in distinction from a contrasted portion, as the portion on one side of a position of equilibrium, in contrast with that on the opposite side.
  6. 6
    A component in a material system that is distinguished by chemical composition and/or physical state (solid, liquid or gas) and/or crystal structure. It is delineated from an adjoining phase by an abrupt change in one or more of those conditions.
  7. 7
    In certain organisms, one of two or more colour variations characteristic of the species, but independent of the ordinary seasonal and sexual differences, and often also of age.
  8. 8
    The period of play between consecutive breakdowns.
  9. 9
    A haplotype.
  10. 10
    The counterclockwise angle from the positive half of the real number line to the vector pointing to a complex number on an Argand diagram of the complex plane, which has the positive real line pointing right and the positive imaginary number line pointing up.
  11. 11
    A distortion caused by a difference in the speed of propagation for different frequencies
  12. 12
    In a polyphase electrical power system, one of the power-carrying conductors, or the alternating current carried by it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The problem has many phases.
  2. the phases of the moon

Etymology

From New Latin phasis, from Ancient Greek φάσις (phásis, “an appearance”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to cause to appear”); compare phantasm and see face.

This word in other languages

fase(Español)phase(Français)Phase(Deutsch)fase(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hpase
  • pahse
  • phaes
  • phasse
  • phhase
  • phsae
  • pphase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of phase - 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.

hpase2pahse2phaes2phasse1phhase1phsae2pphase1
Edit distance from "phase"

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 "phase"?
"phase" is spelled P-H-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /feɪz/.
What does "phase" mean?
As a noun, "phase" means: A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.
What words are commonly confused with "phase"?
"phase" is commonly confused with "pose", "phat", "place". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "phase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phase" is /feɪz/. 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 "phase"?
From New Latin phasis, from Ancient Greek φάσις (phásis, “an appearance”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to cause to appear”); compare phantasm and see face. 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 "phase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mixed#2,305films#2,298fault#2,296smile#2,316

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

votes7 variantsblame7 variantscauses7 variantsurban7 variants

What to do next

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

  • "phase" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "pose". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,306 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