prance

/pɹæn(t)s/

//pɹæn(t)s// verb

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

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

The verdict

“prance” is an uncommon English word, ranked #60,387 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#60,387
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To spring forward on the hind legs.

Key facts for prance
PropertyValue
Headwordprance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹæn(t)s/
Letters6
Frequency rank#60,387
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prance” 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). prance 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 prance is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹæn(t)s/. Corpus data places it at rank #60,387 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for prance in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German… The correct English form is prance, spelled P-R-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To spring forward on the hind legs.
  2. 2
    To strut about in a showy manner.

Etymology

From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German pranzen (“to strut”).

This word in other languages

encabritarse(Español)se cabrer(Français)empinar(Português)

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 "prance"?
"prance" is spelled P-R-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹæn(t)s/.
What does "prance" mean?
As a verb, "prance" means: To spring forward on the hind legs.
How do you pronounce "prance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prance" is /pɹæn(t)s/. 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 "prance"?
From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Aleman... 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 “prance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹæn(t)s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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