pilgrim

/ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/

//ˈpɪlɡɹɪm// noun

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

"pilgrim" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pilgrim” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,693. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,693
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who travels to visit a site of religious significance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pilgrim vs pilgrims
88% similar

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

Key facts for pilgrim
PropertyValue
Headwordpilgrim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,693
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pilgrim” 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). pilgrim 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 11 spelling variants around pilgrim (IPA /ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,693 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for pilgrim, with forms such as "iplgrim", "piglrim", and "pilggrim". 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, "pilgrims", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English pilegrim, from Old English pilegrī̆m, from Old French pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus (“foreigner”). Doublet of peregrine. The change of /r…r/ to /l…r/ is an effect of dissimilation in early Romance; compare Italian pellegrino. The correct English form is pilgrim, spelled P-I-L-G-R-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who travels to visit a site of religious significance.
  2. 2
    One who travels to visit a site of religious significance.
  3. 3
    A newcomer.
  4. 4
    A silk screen formerly attached to the back of a woman's bonnet to protect the neck.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English pilegrim, from Old English pilegrī̆m, from Old French pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus (“foreigner”). Doublet of peregrine. The change of /r…r/ to /l…r/ is an effect of dissimilation in early Romance; compare Italian pellegrino.

This word in other languages

peregrino(Español)pèlerin(Français)Pilger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iplgrim
  • piglrim
  • pilggrim
  • pilgirm
  • pilgrimm
  • pilgrmi
  • pilgrrim
  • pillgrim
  • pilrgim
  • pligrim
  • ppilgrim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iplgrim2piglrim2pilggrim1pilgirm2pilgrimm1pilgrmi2pilgrrim1pillgrim1
Edit distance from "pilgrim"

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 "pilgrim"?
"pilgrim" is spelled P-I-L-G-R-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/.
What does "pilgrim" mean?
As a noun, "pilgrim" means: One who travels to visit a site of religious significance.
What words are commonly confused with "pilgrim"?
"pilgrim" is commonly confused with "pilgrims". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pilgrim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pilgrim" is /ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/. 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 "pilgrim"?
Inherited from Middle English pilegrim, from Old English pilegrī̆m, from Old French pelegrin, from Latin peregrīnus (“foreigner”). Doublet of peregrine. The change of /r…r/ to /l…r/ is an effect of dissimilation in early Romance; compare Italian p... 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 “pilgrim”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-L-G-R-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɪlɡɹɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pilgrims” - see the side-by-side comparison. pilgrim vs pilgrims
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list