prodigy
/ˈpɹɒdɪd͡ʒi/
"prodigy" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“prodigy” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,031 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #21,031
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An extraordinary occurrence or creature; an anomaly, especially a monster; a freak.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | prodigy |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɒdɪd͡ʒi/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #21,031 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “prodigy” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for prodigy is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒdɪd͡ʒi/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,031 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for prodigy, with forms such as "pordigy", "pprodigy", and "prdoigy". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "prodigal", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English prodige (“portent”), from Latin prōdigium (“omen, portent, prophetic sign”). The correct English form is prodigy, spelled P-R-O-D-I-G-Y.
Definition
- 1An extraordinary occurrence or creature; an anomaly, especially a monster; a freak.
- 2An amazing or marvellous thing; a wonder.
- 3A wonderful example of something.
- 4An extremely talented person, especially a child.
- 5An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a portent.
Etymology
From Middle English prodige (“portent”), from Latin prōdigium (“omen, portent, prophetic sign”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: pordigy,pprodigy,prdoigy,proddigy,prodgiy,prodiggy,prodigyy,prodiyg,proidgy,prrodigy,rpodigy
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prodigy - 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.
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 "prodigy"?
What does "prodigy" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "prodigy"?
How do you pronounce "prodigy"?
What is the origin of the word "prodigy"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “prodigy”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-D-I-G-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɒdɪd͡ʒi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “prodigal” - see the side-by-side comparison. prodigy vs prodigal
- 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.