prosecute

/ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/

//ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt// verb

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

"prosecute" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“prosecute” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,194. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,194
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To start criminal proceedings against.

Corpus desk

Index EN-prosecute · prosecute · English

prosecute · rank #14,194 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,194
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH prophets

Nearest frequency peer: prophets (-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 “prosecute”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “prosecute” 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).

prosecute vs prosecutor
80% similar
prosecute vs persecute
78% similar

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

Key facts for prosecute
PropertyValue
Headwordprosecute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,194
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “prosecute”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).prosecutelands 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 “prophets” (#14,193), “PTSD” (#14,195), “prominence” (#14,192). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “prosecute” is #14,194. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around prosecute (IPA /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,194 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 prosecute, with forms such as "porsecute", "pprosecute", and "proescute". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "prosecutor", "persecute", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute. The correct English form is prosecute, spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To start criminal proceedings against.
  2. 2
    To charge, try.
  3. 3
    To seek to obtain by legal process.
  4. 4
    To pursue something to the end.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to prosecute a man for trespass, or for a riot
  2. To acquit themſelves and proſecute their foes

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute.

This word in other languages

procesar(Español)belangen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • porsecute
  • pprosecute
  • proescute
  • prosceute
  • proseccute
  • prosectue
  • prosecuet
  • prosecutte
  • proseucte
  • prossecute
  • prrosecute
  • prsoecute
  • rposecute

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porsecute2pprosecute1proescute2prosceute2proseccute1prosectue2prosecuet2prosecutte1
Edit distance from "prosecute"

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 "prosecute"?
"prosecute" is spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/.
What does "prosecute" mean?
As a verb, "prosecute" means: To start criminal proceedings against.
What words are commonly confused with "prosecute"?
"prosecute" is commonly confused with "prosecutor", "persecute". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prosecute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prosecute" is /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/. 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 "prosecute"?
Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute. 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 "prosecute", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

radically#14,197pleasures#14,188McConnell#14,163intuition#14,146

Similar misspelling depth

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

prophets13 variantsMcGregor13 variantsmarkings13 variantsStephens13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list