primrose

/ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz/

//ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz// noun

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

"primrose" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“primrose” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,541. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,541
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A flowering plant of the genus Primula.

Corpus desk

Index EN-primrose · primrose · English

primrose · rank #32,541 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,541
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prepped

Nearest frequency peer: prepped (-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 “primrose”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “primrose” 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 primrose
PropertyValue
Headwordprimrose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#32,541
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “primrose”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).primroselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “prepped” (#32,540), “psyched” (#32,543), “Polaroid” (#32,538). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “primrose” is #32,541. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around primrose (IPA /ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,541 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for primrose, with forms such as "pirmrose", "pprimrose", and "primmrose". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English primerose, from Old French primerose, from Medieval Latin prima (“first”) + rosa (“rose”). The reason it was called this might be that some primroses are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. The correct English form is primrose, spelled P-R-I-M-R-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A flowering plant of the genus Primula.
  2. 2
    A flowering plant of the genus Primula.
  3. 3
    A plant of the family Primulaceae.
  4. 4
    A plant of the genus Oenothera, better known as an evening primrose.
  5. 5
    A flower of a primrose plant.
  6. 6
    A light yellow colour.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A mile or so further on is the intermediate station of Ryhall, smothered with primroses in the season, and at all times a veritable flower garden.
  2. Here is spring were celandine, marsh marigold, wind-flower, primrose, cowslip and dog's violet.

Etymology

From Middle English primerose, from Old French primerose, from Medieval Latin prima (“first”) + rosa (“rose”). The reason it was called this might be that some primroses are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring.

Synonyms

primulacowslipoxlipprimerole

This word in other languages

primavera(Español)primevère(Français)Primel(Deutsch)prímula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pirmrose
  • pprimrose
  • primmrose
  • primorse
  • primroes
  • primrosse
  • primrrose
  • primrsoe
  • prirmose
  • prmirose
  • prrimrose
  • rpimrose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pirmrose2pprimrose1primmrose1primorse2primroes2primrosse1primrrose1primrsoe2
Edit distance from "primrose"

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 "primrose"?
"primrose" is spelled P-R-I-M-R-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz/.
What does "primrose" mean?
As a noun, "primrose" means: A flowering plant of the genus Primula.
What are common misspellings of "primrose"?
Common misspellings include "pirmrose", "pprimrose", "primmrose", "primorse", "primroes". The correct spelling is "primrose".
How do you pronounce "primrose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "primrose" is /ˈpɹɪm.ɹoʊz/. 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 "primrose"?
From Middle English primerose, from Old French primerose, from Medieval Latin prima (“first”) + rosa (“rose”). The reason it was called this might be that some primroses are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. 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 "primrose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Polaroid#32,538Percival#32,532pectoral#32,531organist#32,525

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

psyched12 variantsrelaunch12 variantslopsided12 variantsspineless12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list