# prayer

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɹɛə/ · frequency rank #3,520

## Definitions
1. A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity.
2. An act of praying.
3. The specific words or methods used for praying.
4. A meeting held for the express purpose of praying.
5. A request; a petition.
6. The remotest hope or chance.

## Etymology
From Middle English preiere, from Old French preiere, from Early Medieval Latin precāria, derived from Latin precem. Displaced native Old English ġebed (whence modern English bead).

## Easily confused with
- **Pryor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-pryor)
- **prays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-prays)
- **proper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-proper)
- **prefer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-prefer)
- **primer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-primer)
- **preyed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-preyed)
- **prayers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-prayers)
- **pray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pray-vs-prayer)
- **paper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-prayer)
- **payer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/payer-vs-prayer)
- **payed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/payed-vs-prayer)
- **pacer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pacer-vs-prayer)
- **pager** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pager-vs-prayer)
- **played** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/played-vs-prayer)
- **player** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/player-vs-prayer)
- **prayed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayed-vs-prayer)
- **placer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/placer-vs-prayer)
- **players** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/players-vs-prayer)

## Common misspellings (9)
`paryer`, `pprayer`, `praeyr`, `prayerr`, `prayre`, `prayyer`, `prrayer`, `pryaer`, `rpayer`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prayer