prod

/pɹɒd/

//pɹɒd// verb

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

"prod" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prod” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,030. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,030
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To poke, to push, to touch.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prod · prod · English

prod · rank #21,030 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,030
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prodigy

Nearest frequency peer: prodigy (+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 “prod”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “prod” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prod vs pry
50% similar
prod vs PRS
0% similar
prod vs PTO
0% similar

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

Key facts for prod
PropertyValue
Headwordprod
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹɒd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#21,030
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prod”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).prodlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “prodigy” (#21,031), “platter” (#21,026), “psychotherapy” (#21,034). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prod” is #21,030. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around prod (IPA /pɹɒd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #21,030 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for prod, with forms such as "pord", "pprod", and "prdo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pry", "PRS", "PTO", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of earlier brod (perhaps through influence of poke; compare prog), from Middle English brodden (“to goad, incite, urge; to sprout”), from brod (“goad, nail; shoot, sprout”), from Old Norse broddr (“shaft, spike, thorn”), from Proto-Germanic *bruz… The correct English form is prod, spelled P-R-O-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To poke, to push, to touch.
  2. 2
    To encourage, to prompt.
  3. 3
    To prick with a goad.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories.

Etymology

Alteration of earlier brod (perhaps through influence of poke; compare prog), from Middle English brodden (“to goad, incite, urge; to sprout”), from brod (“goad, nail; shoot, sprout”), from Old Norse broddr (“shaft, spike, thorn”), from Proto-Germanic *bruzdaz. Cognate with Icelandic broddur, Danish brod. Doublet of brad. Or, from or influenced by sound symbolism.

This word in other languages

hincar(Español)pousser(Français)stoßen(Deutsch)cutucar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • pord
  • pprod
  • prdo
  • prodd
  • prrod
  • rpod

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pord2pprod1prdo2prodd1prrod1rpod2
Edit distance from "prod"

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 "prod"?
"prod" is spelled P-R-O-D. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɒd/.
What does "prod" mean?
As a verb, "prod" means: To poke, to push, to touch.
What words are commonly confused with "prod"?
"prod" is commonly confused with "pry", "PRS", "PTO". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prod"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prod" is /pɹɒd/. 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 "prod"?
Alteration of earlier brod (perhaps through influence of poke; compare prog), from Middle English brodden (“to goad, incite, urge; to sprout”), from brod (“goad, nail; shoot, sprout”), from Old Norse broddr (“shaft, spike, thorn”), from Proto-Germ... 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 "prod", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Rama#21,040shan#21,061Shen#21,063slum#21,067

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

sauna6 variantsMaddie6 variantsMach6 variantsLuigi6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list