pious

/ˈpaɪəs/

//ˈpaɪəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“pious” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,417 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#19,417
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pious vs pos
60% similar
pious vs pus
60% similar
pious vs plus
60% similar

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

Key facts for pious
PropertyValue
Headwordpious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpaɪəs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#19,417
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pious” 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). pious lands here:

#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 pious is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpaɪəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,417 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for pious, with forms such as "ipous", "piosu", and "piouss". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pos", "pus", "plus", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pewH- Proto-Italic *pwījosder. Latin piusbor. English pious Borrowed from Latin pīus (“pious, dutiful, blessed, kind, devout”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“pure”). Cognate with Old English fǣle (“faithful, trusty, g… The correct English form is pious, spelled P-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing.
  2. 2
    Relating to religion or religious works.
  3. 3
    Insisting on or making a show of one's own virtue, especially in comparison to others; sanctimonious, condescending, judgmental.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pewH- Proto-Italic *pwījosder. Latin piusbor. English pious Borrowed from Latin pīus (“pious, dutiful, blessed, kind, devout”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“pure”). Cognate with Old English fǣle (“faithful, trusty, good; dear, beloved”). More at feal.

This word in other languages

piadoso(Español)pieux(Français)fromm(Deutsch)pio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipous,piosu,piouss,piuos,poius,ppious

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ipous2piosu2piouss1piuos2poius2ppious1
Edit distance from "pious"

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 "pious"?
"pious" is spelled P-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpaɪəs/.
What does "pious" mean?
As an adjective, "pious" means: Of or pertaining to piety, exhibiting piety, devout, god-fearing.
What words are commonly confused with "pious"?
"pious" is commonly confused with "pos", "pus", "plus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pious" is /ˈpaɪəs/. 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 "pious"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pewH- Proto-Italic *pwījosder. Latin piusbor. English pious Borrowed from Latin pīus (“pious, dutiful, blessed, kind, devout”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“pure”). Cognate with Old English fǣle (“faithful,... 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 “pious”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpaɪəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pos” - see the side-by-side comparison. pious vs pos
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list