prevalent

/ˈpɹɛvələnt/

//ˈpɹɛvələnt// adj

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

The verdict

“prevalent” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,940. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,940
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Widespread or preferred.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prevalent · prevalent · English

prevalent · rank #9,940 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,940
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH precedent

Nearest frequency peer: precedent (-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 “prevalent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “prevalent” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prevalent vs prevent
78% similar
prevalent vs prevalence
80% similar

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

Key facts for prevalent
PropertyValue
Headwordprevalent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹɛvələnt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,940
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prevalent”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).prevalentlands 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 “precedent” (#9,939), “prom” (#9,941), “Pitt” (#9,938). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prevalent” is #9,940. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around prevalent (IPA /ˈpɹɛvələnt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #9,940 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for prevalent, with forms such as "pervalent", "pprevalent", and "preavlent". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "prevent", "prevalence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin praevalēns. By surface analysis, pre- + -valent. The correct English form is prevalent, spelled P-R-E-V-A-L-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Widespread or preferred.
  2. 2
    Superior in frequency or dominant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.
  2. Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.[…]Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitio…

Etymology

From Latin praevalēns. By surface analysis, pre- + -valent.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pervalent
  • pprevalent
  • preavlent
  • prevaelnt
  • prevalennt
  • prevalentt
  • prevaletn
  • prevallent
  • prevalnet
  • prevlaent
  • prevvalent
  • prrevalent
  • prvealent
  • rpevalent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prevalent - 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.

pervalent2pprevalent1preavlent2prevaelnt2prevalennt1prevalentt1prevaletn2prevallent1
Edit distance from "prevalent"

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 "prevalent"?
"prevalent" is spelled P-R-E-V-A-L-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɛvələnt/.
What does "prevalent" mean?
As an adjective, "prevalent" means: Widespread or preferred.
What words are commonly confused with "prevalent"?
"prevalent" is commonly confused with "prevent", "prevalence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prevalent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prevalent" is /ˈpɹɛvələnt/. 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 "prevalent"?
From Latin praevalēns. By surface analysis, pre- + -valent. 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 "prevalent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list