preview

/ˈpɹiːvjuː/

//ˈpɹiːvjuː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“preview” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,596. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,596
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An experience of something in advance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-preview · preview · English

preview · rank #7,596 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,596
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prediction

Nearest frequency peer: prediction (-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 “preview”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “preview” 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).

preview vs purview
71% similar
preview vs premier
71% similar

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

Key facts for preview
PropertyValue
Headwordpreview
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹiːvjuː/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,596
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “preview”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).previewlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “prediction” (#7,595), “processed” (#7,597), “polar” (#7,594). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preview” is #7,596. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around preview (IPA /ˈpɹiːvjuː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,596 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for preview, with forms such as "perview", "ppreview", and "preivew". 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, "purview", "premier", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pre- + view; compare Old French preveü, past participle of preveoir (“to foresee”). The correct English form is preview, spelled P-R-E-V-I-E-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    An experience of something in advance.
  2. 2
    An advance showing of a film, exhibition etc.
  3. 3
    A short collection of clips edited together to advertise a film, television show, etc.; a trailer.
  4. 4
    Something seen in advance.
  5. 5
    A facility for viewing and checking a document or photo, or changes to it, before saving or printing it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next; […].

Etymology

From pre- + view; compare Old French preveü, past participle of preveoir (“to foresee”).

Synonyms

forelookforeview

This word in other languages

premier(Español)aperçu(Français)Vorschau(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perview
  • ppreview
  • preivew
  • preveiw
  • previeww
  • previwe
  • prevview
  • prreview
  • prveiew
  • rpeview

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of preview - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

perview2ppreview1preivew2preveiw2previeww1previwe2prevview1prreview1
Edit distance from "preview"

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 "preview"?
"preview" is spelled P-R-E-V-I-E-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹiːvjuː/.
What does "preview" mean?
As a noun, "preview" means: An experience of something in advance.
What words are commonly confused with "preview"?
"preview" is commonly confused with "purview", "premier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "preview"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preview" is /ˈpɹiːvjuː/. 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 "preview"?
From pre- + view; compare Old French preveü, past participle of preveoir (“to foresee”). 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 "preview", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Rebecca#7,601nominee#7,586scholar#7,606linking#7,578

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

socially10 variantssprint10 variantstricky10 variantsenforce10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list