prissy
/ˈpɹɪsi/
"prissy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“prissy” is uncommon English (frequency #63,907 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #63,907
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Prim and fussy; too precise; overparticular.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | prissy |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɪsi/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #63,907 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “prissy” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
prissy is uncommon English at frequency #63,907 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈpɹɪsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for prissy in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: 1895, either an alteration of precise, blend of prim + sissy, or a blend of prim + fussy; first attested in a work of American writer Joel Chandler Harris. The correct English form is prissy, spelled P-R-I-S-S-Y.
Definition
- 1Prim and fussy; too precise; overparticular.
- 2Lacking masculine vigor; sissified; effeminate.
- 3Well-mannered; well-behaved.
Etymology
1895, either an alteration of precise, blend of prim + sissy, or a blend of prim + fussy; first attested in a work of American writer Joel Chandler Harris.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “prissy”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-I-S-S-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɪsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.