privilege

/ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“privilege” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,156 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,156
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

privilege vs privileged
90% similar
privilege vs privileges
90% similar

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

Key facts for privilege
PropertyValue
Headwordprivilege
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#5,156
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “privilege” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). privilege lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for privilege is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,156 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for privilege, with forms such as "pirvilege", "pprivilege", and "priivlege". 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, "privileged", "privileges", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English privilege, from Anglo-Norman privilege and Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium (“ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from prīvus (“private”) + lēx, lēg- (“law”). The correct English form is privilege, spelled P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope.
  2. 2
    A particular benefit, advantage, or favor; a right or immunity enjoyed by some but not others; a prerogative, preferential treatment.
  3. 3
    An especially rare or fortunate opportunity; the good fortune (to do something).
  4. 4
    The fact of being privileged; the status or existence of (now especially social or economic) benefit or advantage within a given society.
  5. 5
    A right or immunity enjoyed by a legislative body or its members.
  6. 6
    A stock market option.
  7. 7
    A common law doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as evidence in court.
  8. 8
    An ability to perform an action on the system that can be selectively granted or denied to users.

Etymology

From Middle English privilege, from Anglo-Norman privilege and Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium (“ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from prīvus (“private”) + lēx, lēg- (“law”).

Synonyms

claimliberty

This word in other languages

privilegio(Español)privilège(Français)Privileg(Deutsch)privilégio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pirvilege,pprivilege,priivlege,privielge,privileeg,privilegge,privilgee,privillege,privliege,privvilege,prrivilege,prviilege,rpivilege

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pirvilege2pprivilege1priivlege2privielge2privileeg2privilegge1privilgee2privillege1
Edit distance from "privilege"

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 "privilege"?
"privilege" is spelled P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "privilege" mean?
As a noun, "privilege" means: An exemption from certain laws granted by the Pope.
What words are commonly confused with "privilege"?
"privilege" is commonly confused with "privileged", "privileges". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "privilege"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "privilege" is /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "privilege"?
From Middle English privilege, from Anglo-Norman privilege and Old French privilege, from Latin prīvilēgium (“ordinance or law against or in favor of an individual”), from prīvus (“private”) + lēx, lēg- (“law”). 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.

Using “privilege”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-I-V-I-L-E-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɹɪv.(ɪ.)lɪd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “privileged” - see the side-by-side comparison. privilege vs privileged
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list