prompt

/pɹɒmpt/

//pɹɒmpt// adj

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

"prompt" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prompt” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,845 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,845
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Quick; acting without delay.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prompt vs prop
67% similar
prompt vs Prot
50% similar
prompt vs props
67% similar

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

Key facts for prompt
PropertyValue
Headwordprompt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹɒmpt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,845
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prompt” 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). prompt 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 prompt is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹɒmpt/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,845 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 prompt, with forms such as "pormpt", "pprompt", and "prmopt". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "prop", "Prot", "props", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is from Middle English prompte, from Middle French prompt and its etymon Latin prōmptus (“visible, apparent, evident”), past participle of prōmō (“to take or bring out or forth, produce, bring to light”), from prō (“forth, forward”) + emō (“to… The correct English form is prompt, spelled P-R-O-M-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Quick; acting without delay.
  2. 2
    On time; punctual.
  3. 3
    Ready; willing to act.
  4. 4
    Front: closest or nearest, in futures trading.

Etymology

The adjective is from Middle English prompte, from Middle French prompt and its etymon Latin prōmptus (“visible, apparent, evident”), past participle of prōmō (“to take or bring out or forth, produce, bring to light”), from prō (“forth, forward”) + emō (“to take, acquire, buy”). Doublet of pronto. The verb is from Middle English prompen, apparently from the adjective. The noun is from the verb.

Synonyms

promptfasthastynowon timeon the doublepost-hastequickquick as a winkrapidrashright awaysoonspeedyspit-spotstat

Antonyms

haveringhesitanthesitativetremuloustrepidatiousvacillatory

This word in other languages

rápido(Español)ponctuel(Français)prompt(Deutsch)rápido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pormpt,pprompt,prmopt,prommpt,promppt,promptt,promtp,propmt,prrompt,rpompt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pormpt2pprompt1prmopt2prommpt1promppt1promptt1promtp2propmt2
Edit distance from "prompt"

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 "prompt"?
"prompt" is spelled P-R-O-M-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɒmpt/.
What does "prompt" mean?
As an adjective, "prompt" means: Quick; acting without delay.
What words are commonly confused with "prompt"?
"prompt" is commonly confused with "prop", "Prot", "props". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prompt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prompt" is /pɹɒmpt/. 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 "prompt"?
The adjective is from Middle English prompte, from Middle French prompt and its etymon Latin prōmptus (“visible, apparent, evident”), past participle of prōmō (“to take or bring out or forth, produce, bring to light”), from prō (“forth, forward”) ... 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 “prompt”

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

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