profound

/pɹəˈfaʊnd/

//pɹəˈfaʊnd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“profound” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,835 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#7,835
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

profound vs pronoun
75% similar
profound vs profoundly
80% similar

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

Key facts for profound
PropertyValue
Headwordprofound
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹəˈfaʊnd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,835
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “profound” 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). profound 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 profound is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹəˈfaʊnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,835 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. 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 profound, with forms such as "porfound", "pprofound", and "prfoound". 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, "pronoun", "profoundly", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English profound, profounde, from Anglo-Norman profound, from Old French profont, profonde, from Latin profundus (“deep, profound”), from prō + fundus (“bottom; foundation”). The correct English form is profound, spelled P-R-O-F-O-U-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
  2. 2
    Very deep; very serious.
  3. 3
    Intellectually deep; entering far into subjects; reaching to the bottom of a matter, or of a branch of learning; thorough.
  4. 4
    Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading.
  5. 5
    Bending low, exhibiting or expressing deep humility; lowly; submissive.

Etymology

From Middle English profound, profounde, from Anglo-Norman profound, from Old French profont, profonde, from Latin profundus (“deep, profound”), from prō + fundus (“bottom; foundation”).

Synonyms

deep-grounded

This word in other languages

profundo(Español)profond(Français)tiefgehend(Deutsch)profundo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porfound,pprofound,prfoound,proffound,profonud,profoudn,profoundd,profounnd,profuond,proofund,prrofound,rpofound

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porfound2pprofound1prfoound2proffound1profonud2profoudn2profoundd1profounnd1
Edit distance from "profound"

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 "profound"?
"profound" is spelled P-R-O-F-O-U-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəˈfaʊnd/.
What does "profound" mean?
As an adjective, "profound" means: Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
What words are commonly confused with "profound"?
"profound" is commonly confused with "pronoun", "profoundly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "profound"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "profound" is /pɹəˈfaʊnd/. 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 "profound"?
From Middle English profound, profounde, from Anglo-Norman profound, from Old French profont, profonde, from Latin profundus (“deep, profound”), from prō + fundus (“bottom; foundation”). 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 “profound”

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

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