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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,859 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#43,859
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet.

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)

Where “prophesy” 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). prophesy 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 prophesy is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒfɪsaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,859 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “prophesy”

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

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