programmer

/ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/

//ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə// noun

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

"programmer" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“programmer” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,787. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,787
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who writes computer programs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-programmer · programmer · English

programmer · rank #13,787 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,787
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH processors

Nearest frequency peer: processors (-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 “programmer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “programmer” 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).

programmer vs programme
90% similar

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

Key facts for programmer
PropertyValue
Headwordprogrammer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,787
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “programmer”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).programmerlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “processors” (#13,786), “promoter” (#13,788), “porcelain” (#13,785). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “programmer” is #13,787. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around programmer (IPA /ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,787 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for programmer, with forms such as "porgrammer", "pprogrammer", and "prgorammer". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "programme", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: *program + -er (US) / programme + -er (UK) The correct English form is programmer, spelled P-R-O-G-R-A-M-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who writes computer programs.
  2. 2
    One who decides which programs will be shown on a television station, or which songs will be played on a radio station.
  3. 3
    A device that installs or controls a software program in some other machine.
  4. 4
    A short film feature as part of a longer film program.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. More important, when we looked at who worked in that industry, we noticed that programmers were in the minority. They’re dwarfed by, among other occupations, the software developers. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but the jobs follow very different trajectories. Nationwide, software developers haven’t struggled nearly as much as their p…
  2. The handful of never-ending summer classics annually activated by rock-radio programmers.

Etymology

*program + -er (US) / programme + -er (UK)

This word in other languages

programador(Español)programmeur(Français)Programmierer(Deutsch)programador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porgrammer
  • pprogrammer
  • prgorammer
  • progarmmer
  • proggrammer
  • programemr
  • programer
  • programmerr
  • programmre
  • progrmamer
  • progrrammer
  • prorgammer
  • prrogrammer
  • rpogrammer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porgrammer2pprogrammer1prgorammer2progarmmer2proggrammer1programemr2programer1programmerr1
Edit distance from "programmer"

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 "programmer"?
"programmer" is spelled P-R-O-G-R-A-M-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/.
What does "programmer" mean?
As a noun, "programmer" means: One who writes computer programs.
What words are commonly confused with "programmer"?
"programmer" is commonly confused with "programme". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "programmer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "programmer" is /ˈpɹəʊɡɹæmə/. 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 "programmer"?
*program + -er (US) / programme + -er (UK) 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 "programmer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

processors#13,786psychiatry#13,790repetitive#13,796scratching#13,807

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

planetary14 variantsoutskirts14 variantsseriousness14 variantsmultimedia14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list