prodigal

/ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/

//ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl// adj

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

"prodigal" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prodigal” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,135 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#32,135
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Wastefully extravagant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prodigal vs prodigy
75% similar
prodigal vs proximal
75% similar

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

Key facts for prodigal
PropertyValue
Headwordprodigal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#32,135
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prodigal” 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). prodigal 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 prodigal is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,135 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for prodigal, with forms such as "pordigal", "pprodigal", and "prdoigal". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "prodigy", "proximal", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see prodigy. The correct English form is prodigal, spelled P-R-O-D-I-G-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wastefully extravagant.
  2. 2
    Yielding profusely, lavish.
  3. 3
    Profuse, lavishly abundant.
  4. 4
    Behaving as a prodigal son:
  5. 5
    Behaving as a prodigal son:

Etymology

From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see prodigy.

Synonyms

extravagantimprovidentimprudentlavishprodigalprofligaterecklessspendthriftsquanderinguneconomicalunthriftywasteful

Antonyms

frugalstingy

This word in other languages

pródigo(Español)prodigue(Français)verschwenderisch(Deutsch)pródigo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pordigal,pprodigal,prdoigal,proddigal,prodgial,prodiagl,prodigall,prodiggal,prodigla,proidgal,prrodigal,rpodigal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pordigal2pprodigal1prdoigal2proddigal1prodgial2prodiagl2prodigall1prodiggal1
Edit distance from "prodigal"

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 "prodigal"?
"prodigal" is spelled P-R-O-D-I-G-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/.
What does "prodigal" mean?
As an adjective, "prodigal" means: Wastefully extravagant.
What words are commonly confused with "prodigal"?
"prodigal" is commonly confused with "prodigy", "proximal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prodigal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prodigal" is /ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/. 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 "prodigal"?
From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see pr... 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 “prodigal”

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

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