proofreader

noun

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

"proofreader" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“proofreader” is uncommon English (frequency #80,778 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,778
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who proofreads.

Corpus desk

Index EN-proofreader · proofreader · English

proofreader · rank #80,778 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #80,778
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH proconsul

Nearest frequency peer: proconsul (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “proofreader”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “proofreader” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for proofreader
PropertyValue
Headwordproofreader
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,778
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “proofreader” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).proofreaderfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “proconsul” (#80,777), “prettiness” (#80,775), “prematurity” (#80,774). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “proofreader” is #80,778. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

proofreader is uncommon English at frequency #80,778 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for proofreader in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From proof + reader. The correct English form is proofreader, spelled P-R-O-O-F-R-E-A-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who proofreads.
  2. 2
    A person whose occupation is to proofread.

Etymology

From proof + reader.

Synonyms

correctorreviserprinter's reader

This word in other languages

corrector(Español)relecteur(Français)Korrekturleser(Deutsch)revisor(Português)

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 "proofreader"?
"proofreader" is spelled P-R-O-O-F-R-E-A-D-E-R.
What does "proofreader" mean?
As a noun, "proofreader" means: A person who proofreads.
What is the origin of the word "proofreader"?
From proof + reader. 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 "proofreader", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

prematurity#80,774photocopier#80,754pericardial#80,750reverential#80,814

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list