prevailing

/pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ/

//pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ// adj

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

"prevailing" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prevailing” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,989. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,989
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Predominant; of greatest force.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prevailing · prevailing · English

prevailing · rank #13,989 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,989
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prevail

Nearest frequency peer: prevail (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “prevailing”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “prevailing” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for prevailing
PropertyValue
Headwordprevailing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,989
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prevailing”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “prevail” (#13,988), “portrayal” (#13,987), “Poe” (#13,986). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prevailing” is #13,989. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around prevailing (IPA /pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,989 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for prevailing, with forms such as "pervailing", "pprevailing", and "preaviling". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, prevail + -ing. The correct English form is prevailing, spelled P-R-E-V-A-I-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Predominant; of greatest force.
  2. 2
    Prevalent, common, widespread.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The prevailing opinion was for additional planning time.
  2. He has a Humour more prevailing than his Curioſity, and will willingly diſpence with the hearing of one ſcandalous Story, to avoid giving an occaſion to make another, by being ſeen to walk with his Wife.

Etymology

By surface analysis, prevail + -ing.

Synonyms

pervasiveubiquitouswidespread

This word in other languages

prevaleciente(Español)herrschend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pervailing
  • pprevailing
  • preaviling
  • prevaiilng
  • prevailign
  • prevailingg
  • prevailinng
  • prevailling
  • prevailnig
  • prevaliing
  • previaling
  • prevvailing
  • prrevailing
  • prveailing
  • rpevailing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prevailing - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

pervailing2pprevailing1preaviling2prevaiilng2prevailign2prevailingg1prevailinng1prevailling1
Edit distance from "prevailing"

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 "prevailing"?
"prevailing" is spelled P-R-E-V-A-I-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ/.
What does "prevailing" mean?
As an adjective, "prevailing" means: Predominant; of greatest force.
What are common misspellings of "prevailing"?
Common misspellings include "pervailing", "pprevailing", "preaviling", "prevaiilng", "prevailign". The correct spelling is "prevailing".
How do you pronounce "prevailing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prevailing" is /pɹɪˈveɪ.lɪŋ/. 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 "prevailing"?
By surface analysis, prevail + -ing. 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 "prevailing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

regulating#14,001overcoming#13,975sentiments#14,016lighthouse#13,948

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

sustaining15 variantsimpairment15 variantswaterproof15 variantshesitation15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list