prophesy

/ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/

//ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ// verb

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

"prophesy" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prophesy” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,859. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,859
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prophesy · prophesy · English

prophesy · rank #43,859 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,859
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH procurator

Nearest frequency peer: procurator (-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 “prophesy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “prophesy” 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).

prophesy vs prophet
75% similar
prophesy vs prophets
75% similar
prophesy vs prophecy
88% similar

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

Key facts for prophesy
PropertyValue
Headwordprophesy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,859
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prophesy”

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).prophesylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “procurator” (#43,858), “prescient” (#43,856), “puffin” (#43,862). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prophesy” is #43,859. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around prophesy (IPA /ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #43,859 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for prophesy, with forms such as "porphesy", "pprophesy", and "prohpesy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "prophet", "prophets", "prophecy", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English prophecien; partly from prophecie, and partly from Middle French prophecier, prophesier, from prophecie (“prophecy”). Doublet of prophecy. The correct English form is prophesy, spelled P-R-O-P-H-E-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet.
  2. 2
    To predict, to foretell (with or without divine inspiration).
  3. 3
    To foreshow; to herald; to prefigure.
  4. 4
    To speak out on the Bible as an expression of holy inspiration; to preach.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
  2. No, but when the Spirit fils The fantastick Pannicles: Full of fier; then I write

Etymology

From Middle English prophecien; partly from prophecie, and partly from Middle French prophecier, prophesier, from prophecie (“prophecy”). Doublet of prophecy.

This word in other languages

profetizar(Español)prophétiser(Français)prophezeien(Deutsch)profetizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porphesy
  • pprophesy
  • prohpesy
  • propehsy
  • prophessy
  • prophesyy
  • propheys
  • prophhesy
  • prophsey
  • propphesy
  • prpohesy
  • prrophesy
  • rpophesy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prophesy - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

porphesy2pprophesy1prohpesy2propehsy2prophessy1prophesyy1propheys2prophhesy1
Edit distance from "prophesy"

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 "prophesy"?
"prophesy" is spelled P-R-O-P-H-E-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/.
What does "prophesy" mean?
As a verb, "prophesy" means: To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet.
What words are commonly confused with "prophesy"?
"prophesy" is commonly confused with "prophet", "prophets", "prophecy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prophesy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prophesy" is /ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/. 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 "prophesy"?
From Middle English prophecien; partly from prophecie, and partly from Middle French prophecier, prophesier, from prophecie (“prophecy”). Doublet of prophecy. 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 "prophesy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

purebred#43,865plateaus#43,849Rafferty#43,869pickings#43,845

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Sandford13 variantsshavings13 variantsnewscast13 variantssmirking13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list