player

/ˈpleɪɚ/

//ˈpleɪɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“player” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #660 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#660
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One that plays.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

player vs plays
67% similar
player vs prayer
83% similar
player vs prayed
67% similar

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

Key facts for player
PropertyValue
Headwordplayer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpleɪɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#660
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “player” 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). player 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 player is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpleɪɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #660 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for player, with forms such as "lpayer", "palyer", and "plaeyr". 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, "plays", "prayer", "prayed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pleyer, playere, from Old English pleġere (“player, athlete, wrestler”), from Proto-West Germanic *plegārī. Equivalent to play + -er. The correct English form is player, spelled P-L-A-Y-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One that plays.
  2. 2
    One that plays.
  3. 3
    One that plays.
  4. 4
    One that plays.
  5. 5
    One that plays.
  6. 6
    One that plays.
  7. 7
    One that plays.
  8. 8
    One that plays.
  9. 9
    One that plays.
  10. 10
    One who is playful; one without serious aims; an idler; a trifler.
  11. 11
    A participant; one involved in something.
  12. 12
    A participant; one involved in something.
  13. 13
    A person who plays the field rather than having a long-term sexual relationship.

Etymology

From Middle English pleyer, playere, from Old English pleġere (“player, athlete, wrestler”), from Proto-West Germanic *plegārī. Equivalent to play + -er.

This word in other languages

jugador(Español)joueur(Français)Spieler(Deutsch)ator(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpayer,palyer,plaeyr,playerr,playre,playyer,pllayer,plyaer,pplayer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of player - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

lpayer2palyer2plaeyr2playerr1playre2playyer1pllayer1plyaer2
Edit distance from "player"

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 "player"?
"player" is spelled P-L-A-Y-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpleɪɚ/.
What does "player" mean?
As a noun, "player" means: One that plays.
What words are commonly confused with "player"?
"player" is commonly confused with "plays", "prayer", "prayed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "player"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "player" is /ˈpleɪɚ/. 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 "player"?
From Middle English pleyer, playere, from Old English pleġere (“player, athlete, wrestler”), from Proto-West Germanic *plegārī. Equivalent to play + -er. 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 “player”

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

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