phrase

/fɹeɪz/

//fɹeɪz// noun

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

"phrase" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“phrase” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,320. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,320
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A short written or spoken expression.

Corpus desk

Index EN-phrase · phrase · English

phrase · rank #4,320 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,320
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH petition

Nearest frequency peer: petition (-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 “phrase”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “phrase” 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).

phrase vs purse
67% similar
phrase vs prose
67% similar
phrase vs please
67% similar

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

Key facts for phrase
PropertyValue
Headwordphrase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɹeɪz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,320
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “phrase”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).phraselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “petition” (#4,319), “physically” (#4,321), “partly” (#4,318). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “phrase” is #4,320. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around phrase (IPA /fɹeɪz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,320 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for phrase, with forms such as "hprase", "pharse", and "phhrase". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "purse", "prose", "please", 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 Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”). The correct English form is phrase, spelled P-H-R-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A short written or spoken expression.
  2. 2
    A word or, more commonly, a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence, always containing an expressed or implied head (the principal word or subgroup, with core importance) and often consisting of a head plus some other elaborating words.
  3. 3
    A small section of music in a larger piece.
  4. 4
    A mode or form of speech; diction; expression.
  5. 5
    A short individual motion forming part of a choreographed dance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Holonyms: clause, sentence; phrasing, phraseology, turn of phrase; phrase-book; document, message; language; communication
  2. Meronyms: head, complement, adjunct, supplement, modifier; term, word

Etymology

From Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”).

Synonyms

figure of speechlocutionphraseexpression

This word in other languages

expresión(Español)expression(Français)Redewendung(Deutsch)expressão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hprase
  • pharse
  • phhrase
  • phraes
  • phrasse
  • phrrase
  • phrsae
  • pphrase
  • prhase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hprase2pharse2phhrase1phraes2phrasse1phrrase1phrsae2pphrase1
Edit distance from "phrase"

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 "phrase"?
"phrase" is spelled P-H-R-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /fɹeɪz/.
What does "phrase" mean?
As a noun, "phrase" means: A short written or spoken expression.
What words are commonly confused with "phrase"?
"phrase" is commonly confused with "purse", "prose", "please". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "phrase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phrase" is /fɹeɪz/. 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 "phrase"?
From Late Latin phrasis (“diction”), from Ancient Greek φράσις (phrásis, “manner of expression”), from φράζω (phrázō, “to tell, express”). 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 "phrase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

partly#4,318Oregon#4,317racial#4,323regime#4,325

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Madrid9 variantsrivers9 variantsRounds9 variantsshield9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list