prop

/pɹɒp/

//pɹɒp// noun

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

"prop" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prop” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,112. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,112
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prop · prop · English

prop · rank #10,112 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,112
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prohibition

Nearest frequency peer: prohibition (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “prop”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “prop” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prop vs pup
50% similar
prop vs PSP
0% similar
prop vs pry
50% similar

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

Key facts for prop
PropertyValue
Headwordprop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹɒp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,112
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prop”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “prohibition” (#10,111), “proclaimed” (#10,110), “recognizing” (#10,114). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prop” is #10,112. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around prop (IPA /pɹɒp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,112 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for prop, with forms such as "porp", "pprop", and "propp". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pup", "PSP", "pry", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, st… The correct English form is prop, spelled P-R-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
  2. 2
    The player on either side of the hooker in a scrum.
  3. 3
    Any of the seashells in the game of props.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how prop appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. They stuck a block of wood under it as a prop.

Etymology

From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, stopper”).

This word in other languages

apoyo(Español)cale(Français)Stütze(Deutsch)escora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porp
  • pprop
  • propp
  • prpo
  • prrop
  • rpop

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porp2pprop1propp1prpo2prrop1rpop2
Edit distance from "prop"

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 "prop"?
"prop" is spelled P-R-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɒp/.
What does "prop" mean?
As a noun, "prop" means: An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
What words are commonly confused with "prop"?
"prop" is commonly confused with "pup", "PSP", "pry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prop" is /pɹɒp/. 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 "prop"?
From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop ... 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 "prop", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

polo#10,108pads#10,102scar#10,124mold#10,089

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

lick6 variantsjelly6 variantsworm6 variantsherd6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list