preemie

/ˈpɹiːmi/

//ˈpɹiːmi// noun

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

"preemie" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“preemie” is uncommon English (frequency #88,733 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,733
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A baby that has been born prematurely.

Corpus desk

Index EN-preemie · preemie · English

preemie · rank #88,733 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #88,733
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH preproduction

Nearest frequency peer: preproduction (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “preemie”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “preemie” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for preemie
PropertyValue
Headwordpreemie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹiːmi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#88,733
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “preemie” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).preemiefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “preproduction” (#88,734), “precure” (#88,731), “prebendary” (#88,730). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preemie” is #88,733. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

preemie is uncommon English at frequency #88,733 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɹiːmi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A baby that has been born prematurely.".

Zero misspellings are on record for preemie in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From prem(ature) + -ie. The correct English form is preemie, spelled P-R-E-E-M-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A baby that has been born prematurely.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how preemie appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal death, and preemies who survive are at risk for lifelong health problems.

Etymology

From prem(ature) + -ie.

This word in other languages

prématuré(Français)Frühchen(Deutsch)

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 "preemie"?
"preemie" is spelled P-R-E-E-M-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹiːmi/.
What does "preemie" mean?
As a noun, "preemie" means: A baby that has been born prematurely.
How do you pronounce "preemie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preemie" is /ˈpɹiːmi/. 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 "preemie"?
From prem(ature) + -ie. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "preemie", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

precure#88,731potatoe#88,727Proteas#88,741quintal#88,756

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list