profile

/ˈpɹəʊfaɪl/

//ˈpɹəʊfaɪl// noun

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

"profile" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“profile” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,610. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,610
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The outermost shape, view, or edge of an object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-profile · profile · English

profile · rank #1,610 · 10 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,610
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Paris

Nearest frequency peer: Paris (-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 “profile”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “profile” 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).

profile vs profit
71% similar
profile vs provide
71% similar
profile vs promise
71% similar

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

Key facts for profile
PropertyValue
Headwordprofile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹəʊfaɪl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,610
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “profile”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).profilelands 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 “Paris” (#1,609), “pull” (#1,611), “push” (#1,612). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “profile” is #1,610. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around profile (IPA /ˈpɹəʊfaɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,610 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for profile, with forms such as "porfile", "pprofile", and "prfoile". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "profit", "provide", "promise", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French profil, from Italian profilo (“a border”), later also proffilo (“a side-face, profile”), from Latin pro (“before”) + filo (“a line, stroke, thread”), from filum (“a thread”); see file. Doublet of purfle. The correct English form is profile, spelled P-R-O-F-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The outermost shape, view, or edge of an object.
  2. 2
    The shape, view, or shadow of a person's head from the side; a side view.
  3. 3
    A summary or collection of information, especially about a person.
  4. 4
    A specific page or field in which users can provide various types of personal information in software or Internet systems.
  5. 5
    Reputation, prominence; noticeability.
  6. 6
    The amount by which something protrudes.
  7. 7
    A smoothed (e.g., troweled or brushed) vertical surface of an excavation showing evidence of at least one feature or diagnostic specimen; the graphic recording of such as by sketching, photographing, etc.
  8. 8
    Character; totality of related characteristics; signature; status (especially in scientific, technical, or military uses).
  9. 9
    A section of any member, made at right angles with its main lines, showing the exact shape of mouldings etc.
  10. 10
    A drawing exhibiting a vertical section of the ground along a surveyed line, or graded work, as of a railway, showing elevations, depressions, grades, etc.
  11. 11
    An exemption from certain types of duties due to injury or disability.
  12. 12
    A user's preferences.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His fingers traced the profile of the handle.
  2. The brooch showed the profile of a Victorian woman.

Etymology

From French profil, from Italian profilo (“a border”), later also proffilo (“a side-face, profile”), from Latin pro (“before”) + filo (“a line, stroke, thread”), from filum (“a thread”); see file. Doublet of purfle.

This word in other languages

perfil(Español)contour(Français)Profil(Deutsch)perfil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porfile
  • pprofile
  • prfoile
  • proffile
  • profiel
  • profille
  • proflie
  • proifle
  • prrofile
  • rpofile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of profile - 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.

porfile2pprofile1prfoile2proffile1profiel2profille1proflie2proifle2
Edit distance from "profile"

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 "profile"?
"profile" is spelled P-R-O-F-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹəʊfaɪl/.
What does "profile" mean?
As a noun, "profile" means: The outermost shape, view, or edge of an object.
What words are commonly confused with "profile"?
"profile" is commonly confused with "profit", "provide", "promise". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "profile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "profile" is /ˈpɹəʊfaɪl/. 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 "profile"?
From French profil, from Italian profilo (“a border”), later also proffilo (“a side-face, profile”), from Latin pro (“before”) + filo (“a line, stroke, thread”), from filum (“a thread”); see file. Doublet of purfle. 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 "profile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hearing#1,602feature#1,599village#1,621fashion#1,598

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

benefit10 variantsAfrican10 variantsactions10 variantssurface10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list