poise

/pɔɪz/

//pɔɪz// noun

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

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

The verdict

“poise” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,600 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,600
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

poise vs pos
60% similar
poise vs post
60% similar
poise vs pope
60% similar

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

Key facts for poise
PropertyValue
Headwordpoise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɔɪz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#27,600
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “poise” 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). poise 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 poise is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɔɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,600 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 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 poise, with forms such as "opise", "piose", and "poies". 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, "pos", "post", "pope", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English poys, poyse, from Anglo-Norman pois, Middle French pois (“weight”) and Anglo-Norman poise, Middle French poise (“measure of weight”), from Latin pendere (“to weigh, ponder, think”). Doublet of peise. The correct English form is poise, spelled P-O-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.
  2. 2
    Composure; freedom from embarrassment or affectation.
  3. 3
    Mien; bearing or deportment of the head or body.
  4. 4
    A condition of hovering, or being suspended.
  5. 5
    A CGS unit of dynamic viscosity equal to one dyne-second per square centimetre.
  6. 6
    Weight; an amount of weight, the amount something weighs.
  7. 7
    The weight, or mass of metal, used in weighing, to balance the substance weighed.
  8. 8
    That which causes a balance; a counterweight.

Etymology

From Middle English poys, poyse, from Anglo-Norman pois, Middle French pois (“weight”) and Anglo-Norman poise, Middle French poise (“measure of weight”), from Latin pendere (“to weigh, ponder, think”). Doublet of peise.

This word in other languages

contrapeso(Español)assurance(Français)Selbstsicherheit(Deutsch)compostura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opise,piose,poies,poisse,posie,ppoise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opise2piose2poies2poisse1posie2ppoise1
Edit distance from "poise"

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 "poise"?
"poise" is spelled P-O-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɔɪz/.
What does "poise" mean?
As a noun, "poise" means: A state of balance, equilibrium or stability.
What words are commonly confused with "poise"?
"poise" is commonly confused with "pos", "post", "pope". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "poise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "poise" is /pɔɪz/. 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 "poise"?
From Middle English poys, poyse, from Anglo-Norman pois, Middle French pois (“weight”) and Anglo-Norman poise, Middle French poise (“measure of weight”), from Latin pendere (“to weigh, ponder, think”). Doublet of peise. 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 “poise”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɔɪz/ (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. poise 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