# primer

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹaɪ.mə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #15,032

## Definitions
1. A prayer or devotional book intended for laity, initially an abridgment of the breviary and manual including the hours of the Virgin Mary, 15 gradual and 7 penitential psalms, the litany, the placebo and dirige forming the office of the dead, and the commendations.
2. Any of various similar works issued in England for private prayer in accordance with the Book of Common Prayer.
3. A children's book intended to teach literacy: how to read, write, and spell.
4. An introductory text on any subject, particularly basic concepts.
5. An elementary school class; an elementary school student.

## Etymology
From Middle English primer, primere, from Medieval Latin primarius and primarium (“prayer book”) possibly via Anglo-Norman primer (“prayer book”), from prima (“prime the liturgical hour and office”) + -arius and -arium (suffix forming related objects). Its use for schoolbooks derived from the late medieval and early modern use of such prayer books to teach reading.

## Easily confused with
- **prior** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-prior)
- **prize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-prize)
- **primo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-primo)
- **proper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-proper)
- **prizes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-prizes)
- **prized** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-prized)
- **primes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-primes)
- **primus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-primus)
- **printer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/primer-vs-printer)
- **pier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pier-vs-primer)
- **prim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prim-vs-primer)
- **price** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/price-vs-primer)
- **prime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prime-vs-primer)
- **pride** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pride-vs-primer)
- **piper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piper-vs-primer)
- **prima** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prima-vs-primer)
- **prices** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prices-vs-primer)
- **prefer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prefer-vs-primer)
- **prayer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prayer-vs-primer)
- **Palmer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/palmer-vs-primer)

## Common misspellings (9)
`pirmer`, `pprimer`, `priemr`, `primerr`, `primmer`, `primre`, `prmier`, `prrimer`, `rpimer`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/primer