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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,112 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,112
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.

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)

Where “prop” 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). prop 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 prop is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹɒp/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,112 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “prop”

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

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