pregnancy

/ˈpɹɛɡnənsi/

//ˈpɹɛɡnənsi// noun

"pregnancy" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pregnancy” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,105 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,105
frequency rank, English
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The condition of being pregnant; an instance of this.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pregnancy vs pregnant
78% similar

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

Key facts for pregnancy
PropertyValue
Headwordpregnancy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɛɡnənsi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,105
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pregnancy” 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). pregnancy 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 pregnancy is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɛɡnənsi/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,105 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for pregnancy, with forms such as "pergnancy", "ppregnancy", and "preganncy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pregnant", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pregnant + -cy. The correct English form is pregnancy, spelled P-R-E-G-N-A-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The condition of being pregnant; an instance of this.
  2. 2
    The period of time this condition prevails.
  3. 3
    The progression of stages from conception to birth.

Etymology

From pregnant + -cy.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pergnancy,ppregnancy,preganncy,preggnancy,pregnacny,pregnanccy,pregnancyy,pregnanncy,pregnanyc,pregnnacy,pregnnancy,prengancy,prgenancy,prregnancy,rpegnancy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pregnancy - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

pergnancy2ppregnancy1preganncy2preggnancy1pregnacny2pregnanccy1pregnancyy1pregnanncy1
Edit distance from "pregnancy"

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 "pregnancy"?
"pregnancy" is spelled P-R-E-G-N-A-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛɡnənsi/.
What does "pregnancy" mean?
As a noun, "pregnancy" means: The condition of being pregnant; an instance of this.
What words are commonly confused with "pregnancy"?
"pregnancy" is commonly confused with "pregnant". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pregnancy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pregnancy" is /ˈpɹɛɡnənsi/. 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 "pregnancy"?
From pregnant + -cy. 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 “pregnancy”

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

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