prize

/pɹaɪz/

//pɹaɪz// noun

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

"prize" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prize” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,549. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,549
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prize · prize · English

prize · rank #2,549 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,549
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pacific

Nearest frequency peer: pacific (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “prize”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “prize” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

prize vs prove
60% similar
prize vs probe
60% similar
prize vs prone
60% similar

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

Key facts for prize
PropertyValue
Headwordprize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹaɪz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,549
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prize” 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).prizelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “pacific” (#2,548), “realized” (#2,550), “nick” (#2,547). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around prize (IPA /pɹaɪz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,549 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for prize, with forms such as "pirze", "pprize", and "priez". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "prove", "probe", "prone", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English prise, from Old French prise (“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”), past participle of prendre (“to take, to capture”), from Latin prēndere (“to take, seize”); see prehend. Compare prison, … The correct English form is prize, spelled P-R-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.
  2. 2
    Anything captured by a belligerent using the rights of war; especially, property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as a vessel.
  3. 3
    An honour or reward striven for in a competitive contest; anything offered to be competed for, or as an inducement to, or reward of, effort.
  4. 4
    That which may be won by chance, as in a lottery.
  5. 5
    Anything worth striving for; a valuable possession held or in prospect.
  6. 6
    A contest for a reward; competition.
  7. 7
    A lever; a pry; also, the hold of a lever.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] wherefore he now begunne To challenge her anew, as his owne prize, Whom formerly he had in battell wonne,
  2. Having taken all the Treasure on Board their own Ships, and plundered their Prize of every Thing elſe they either wanted or liked, they let her go; ſhe not being able to continue her Voyage, returned back: […]

Etymology

From Middle English prise, from Old French prise (“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”), past participle of prendre (“to take, to capture”), from Latin prēndere (“to take, seize”); see prehend. Compare prison, apprise, comprise, enterprise, purprise, reprisal, surprise, etc. Doublet of prise.

This word in other languages

botín(Español)prix(Français)Beute(Deutsch)prêmio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pirze
  • pprize
  • priez
  • prizze
  • prrize
  • przie
  • rpize

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pirze2pprize1priez2prizze1prrize1przie2rpize2
Edit distance from "prize"

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 "prize"?
"prize" is spelled P-R-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹaɪz/.
What does "prize" mean?
As a noun, "prize" means: That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.
What words are commonly confused with "prize"?
"prize" is commonly confused with "prove", "probe", "prone". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prize" is /pɹaɪz/. 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 "prize"?
From Middle English prise, from Old French prise (“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”), past participle of prendre (“to take, to capture”), from Latin prēndere (“to take, seize”); see prehend. Compar... 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 "prize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

moves#2,546rural#2,555kinda#2,542Spain#2,560

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

tools7 variantsfaces7 variantsdollar7 variantsadmit7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "prize". Here's where to go from here.

  • "prize" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "prove". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,549 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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