propensity

/pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/

//pɹəˈpɛnsɪti// noun

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

"propensity" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“propensity” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,641. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,641
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-propensity · propensity · English

propensity · rank #23,641 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,641
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH propel

Nearest frequency peer: propel (-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 “propensity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “propensity” 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
Key facts for propensity
PropertyValue
Headwordpropensity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/
Letters10
Frequency rank#23,641
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “propensity”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).propensitylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “propel” (#23,640), “Pryor” (#23,642), “procure” (#23,639). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “propensity” is #23,641. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around propensity (IPA /pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,641 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for propensity, with forms such as "porpensity", "ppropensity", and "proepnsity". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from New Latin prōpensitās. By surface analysis, propense (“inclined, disposed”) + -ity. The correct English form is propensity, spelled P-R-O-P-E-N-S-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He has a propensity for lengthy discussions of certain favorite topics.
  2. I must own they do dearly delight in a judgment; and sorry am I that I cannot gratify this laudable propensity by specifying some peculiar evil incurred by Mr. Delawarr's ambition, or Lady Etheringhame's vanity.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from New Latin prōpensitās. By surface analysis, propense (“inclined, disposed”) + -ity.

Synonyms

proclivitypropensionpredilection

This word in other languages

tendencia(Español)propension(Français)Neigung(Deutsch)propensão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porpensity
  • ppropensity
  • proepnsity
  • propenisty
  • propennsity
  • propensitty
  • propensityy
  • propensiyt
  • propenssity
  • propenstiy
  • propesnity
  • propnesity
  • proppensity
  • prpoensity
  • prropensity
  • rpopensity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porpensity2ppropensity1proepnsity2propenisty2propennsity1propensitty1propensityy1propensiyt2
Edit distance from "propensity"

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 "propensity"?
"propensity" is spelled P-R-O-P-E-N-S-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/.
What does "propensity" mean?
As a noun, "propensity" means: An inclination, disposition, tendency, preference, or attraction.
What are common misspellings of "propensity"?
Common misspellings include "porpensity", "ppropensity", "proepnsity", "propenisty", "propennsity". The correct spelling is "propensity".
How do you pronounce "propensity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "propensity" is /pɹəˈpɛnsɪti/. 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 "propensity"?
Learned borrowing from New Latin prōpensitās. By surface analysis, propense (“inclined, disposed”) + -ity. 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 "propensity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

remodeling#23,652SoundCloud#23,681stepmother#23,689inspecting#23,570

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

circumvent16 variantscollaborator16 variantsdisorderly16 variantsdistraught16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list