prolong

/pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/

//pɹəʊˈlɒŋ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“prolong” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,183. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,183
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To extend in space or length.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prolong · prolong · English

prolong · rank #22,183 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,183
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH proc

Nearest frequency peer: proc (-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 “prolong”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “prolong” 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).

prolong vs prong
71% similar
prolong vs proton
71% similar
prolong vs proving
71% similar

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

Key facts for prolong
PropertyValue
Headwordprolong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#22,183
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prolong”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).prolonglands 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 “proc” (#22,182), “propane” (#22,184), “probing” (#22,181). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prolong” is #22,183. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around prolong (IPA /pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #22,183 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for prolong, with forms such as "porlong", "pprolong", and "prloong". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "prong", "proton", "proving", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Either a back-formation from prolongation, or from Old French prolonguer or porloignier, from Latin prōlongō, from prō + longō. Doublet of purloin. The correct English form is prolong, spelled P-R-O-L-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    To extend in space or length.
  2. 2
    To lengthen in time; to extend the duration of.
  3. 3
    To put off to a distant time; to postpone.
  4. 4
    To become longer; lengthen.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Complaining prolongs one’s pain.
  2. The departure was not unduly prolonged. In the road Mr. Love and the driver favoured the company with a brief chanty running. “Got it?—No, I ain't, 'old on,—Got it? Got it?—No, 'old on sir.”

Etymology

Either a back-formation from prolongation, or from Old French prolonguer or porloignier, from Latin prōlongō, from prō + longō. Doublet of purloin.

This word in other languages

prolongar(Español)prolonger(Français)ausdehnen(Deutsch)prolongar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porlong
  • pprolong
  • prloong
  • prollong
  • prolnog
  • prologn
  • prolongg
  • prolonng
  • proolng
  • prrolong
  • rpolong

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prolong - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

porlong2pprolong1prloong2prollong1prolnog2prologn2prolongg1prolonng1
Edit distance from "prolong"

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 "prolong"?
"prolong" is spelled P-R-O-L-O-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/.
What does "prolong" mean?
As a verb, "prolong" means: To extend in space or length.
What words are commonly confused with "prolong"?
"prolong" is commonly confused with "prong", "proton", "proving". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prolong"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prolong" is /pɹəʊˈlɒŋ/. 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 "prolong"?
Either a back-formation from prolongation, or from Old French prolonguer or porloignier, from Latin prōlongō, from prō + longō. Doublet of purloin. 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 "prolong", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

propane#22,184probing#22,181Ramadan#22,191Redmond#22,196

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

paparazzi11 variantsSalford11 variantsmagnolia11 variantssomeones11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list