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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,549 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,549
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That which is taken from another; something captured; a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.

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). prize 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 prize is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,549 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “prize”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-I-Z-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “prove” - see the side-by-side comparison. prize vs prove
  • 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