promise

/ˈpɹɒmɪs/

//ˈpɹɒmɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“promise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,009 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,009
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An oath or affirmation; a vow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

promise vs prose
71% similar
promise vs provide
71% similar
promise vs promote
71% similar

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

Key facts for promise
PropertyValue
Headwordpromise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɒmɪs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,009
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “promise” 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). promise 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 promise is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒmɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,009 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for promise, with forms such as "pormise", "ppromise", and "prmoise". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "prose", "provide", "promote", 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 Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, Latin prōmissum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter past participles of prōmittō (“I send forth, I say beforehand, I promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mitter… The correct English form is promise, spelled P-R-O-M-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An oath or affirmation; a vow.
  2. 2
    A transaction between two persons whereby the first person undertakes in the future to render some service or gift to the second person or devotes something valuable now and here to his use.
  3. 3
    Reason to expect improvement or success; potential.
  4. 4
    A placeholder object representing the eventual result of an asynchronous operation.
  5. 5
    Bestowal or fulfillment of what is promised.

Etymology

From Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, Latin prōmissum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter past participles of prōmittō (“I send forth, I say beforehand, I promise”), from pro (“forth”) + mittere (“to send”); see mission. Compare admit, commit, permit, etc. Displaced native ġehātan (“to promise”) and ġehāt (“a promise”).

This word in other languages

promesa(Español)vœu(Français)Versprechen(Deutsch)promessa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pormise,ppromise,prmoise,proimse,promies,promisse,prommise,promsie,prromise,rpomise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pormise2ppromise1prmoise2proimse2promies2promisse1prommise1promsie2
Edit distance from "promise"

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 "promise"?
"promise" is spelled P-R-O-M-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒmɪs/.
What does "promise" mean?
As a noun, "promise" means: An oath or affirmation; a vow.
What words are commonly confused with "promise"?
"promise" is commonly confused with "prose", "provide", "promote". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "promise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "promise" is /ˈpɹɒmɪs/. 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 "promise"?
From Middle English promis, promisse, borrowed from Old French promesse, from Medieval Latin prōmissa, Latin prōmissum (“a promise”), feminine and neuter past participles of prōmittō (“I send forth, I say beforehand, I promise”), from pro (“forth”... 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 “promise”

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

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