# pronoun

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɹəʊ.naʊn/ · frequency rank #23,370

## Definitions
1. A type of word that refers anaphorically to a noun or noun phrase, but which cannot ordinarily be preceded by a determiner and rarely takes an attributive adjective.
2. Ellipsis of preferred pronoun, any of the third-person pronouns by which a person prefers to be referred to, typically reflecting their gender identity; often communicated as a subject–object pair.

## Etymology
From pro- + noun, modeled on Middle French pronom, from Latin pronomen, itself a calque of Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ντωνῠμῐ́ᾱ (ăntōnŭmĭ́ā).

## Easily confused with
- **proton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pronoun-vs-proton)
- **pronounce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pronoun-vs-pronounce)
- **profound** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/profound-vs-pronoun)

## Common misspellings (10)
`pornoun`, `ppronoun`, `prnooun`, `pronnoun`, `prononu`, `pronounn`, `pronuon`, `proonun`, `prronoun`, `rponoun`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pronoun