pierce

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

/pɪɹs/

//pɪɹs// verb

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

The verdict

“pierce” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,958 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,958
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To puncture; to break through.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pierce vs Piers

50% similar

pierce vs Pierre

67% similar

pierce vs pierced

86% similar

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

Key facts for pierce
Property	Value
Headword	pierce
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/pɪɹs/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#7,958
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	12
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pierce” 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). pierce lands here:

#7,958

#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 pierce is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɪɹs/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,958 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for pierce, with forms such as "iperce", "piecre", and "piercce". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Piers", "Pierre", "pierced", 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 Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat… The correct English form is pierce, spelled P-I-E-R-C-E.

Definition

1
To puncture; to break through.
2
To create a hole in the skin for the purpose of inserting jewelry.
3
to break or interrupt abruptly
4
To get to the heart or crux of (a matter).
5
To penetrate; to affect deeply.

Etymology

From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tundō (“beat, pound”). Displaced native Old English þȳrlian (literally “to hole”).

This word in other languages

perforar(Español)percer(Français)durchstechen(Deutsch)furar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iperce,piecre,piercce,pierec,pierrce,pirece,ppierce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "pierce"

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 "pierce"?

"pierce" is spelled P-I-E-R-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪɹs/.

What does "pierce" mean?

As a verb, "pierce" means: To puncture; to break through.

What words are commonly confused with "pierce"?

"pierce" is commonly confused with "Piers", "Pierre", "pierced". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "pierce"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pierce" is /pɪɹs/. 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 "pierce"?

From Middle English perce, from conjugated forms of Old French percier such as (jeo) pierce (“I pierce”), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertūsiō, from Latin pertūsus, past participle of pertundō (“thrust or bore through”), from per- (“through”) + tu... 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 “pierce”

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

The one correct English spelling is P-I-E-R-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /pɪɹs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Piers” - see the side-by-side comparison. pierce vs Piers
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.