prominent

/ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/

//ˈpɹɑmɪnənt// adj

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

"prominent" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prominent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,110 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,110
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Standing out, or projecting; jutting; protuberant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prominent vs proponent
78% similar
prominent vs provident
78% similar
prominent vs prominently
82% similar

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

Key facts for prominent
PropertyValue
Headwordprominent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,110
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prominent” 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). prominent 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 prominent is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,110 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for prominent, with forms such as "porminent", "pprominent", and "prmoinent". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "proponent", "provident", "prominently", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From obsolete French prominent (compare proéminent), from Latin prōminēns, present active participle of prōmineō (“jut out, to project”), from prō (“before, forward”) + mineō (in compounds, “jut, project”). The correct English form is prominent, spelled P-R-O-M-I-N-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Standing out, or projecting; jutting; protuberant.
  2. 2
    Likely to attract attention from its size or position; conspicuous.
  3. 3
    Eminent; distinguished above others.

Etymology

From obsolete French prominent (compare proéminent), from Latin prōminēns, present active participle of prōmineō (“jut out, to project”), from prō (“before, forward”) + mineō (in compounds, “jut, project”).

This word in other languages

prominente(Español)protubérant(Français)überstehend(Deutsch)proeminente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porminent,pprominent,prmoinent,proimnent,promiennt,prominennt,prominentt,prominetn,prominnent,prominnet,promminent,promnient,prrominent,rpominent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porminent2pprominent1prmoinent2proimnent2promiennt2prominennt1prominentt1prominetn2
Edit distance from "prominent"

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 "prominent"?
"prominent" is spelled P-R-O-M-I-N-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/.
What does "prominent" mean?
As an adjective, "prominent" means: Standing out, or projecting; jutting; protuberant.
What words are commonly confused with "prominent"?
"prominent" is commonly confused with "proponent", "provident", "prominently". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prominent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prominent" is /ˈpɹɑmɪnənt/. 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 "prominent"?
From obsolete French prominent (compare proéminent), from Latin prōminēns, present active participle of prōmineō (“jut out, to project”), from prō (“before, forward”) + mineō (in compounds, “jut, project”). 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 “prominent”

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

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