prospect

/ˈpɹɒspɛkt/

//ˈpɹɒspɛkt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“prospect” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,827 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,827
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

prospect vs protect
75% similar
prospect vs prosper
75% similar
prospect vs prospects
89% similar

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

Key facts for prospect
PropertyValue
Headwordprospect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɹɒspɛkt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,827
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prospect” 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). prospect 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 prospect is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,827 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 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 prospect, with forms such as "porspect", "pprospect", and "propsect". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "protect", "prosper", "prospects", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analysis, pro- +… The correct English form is prospect, spelled P-R-O-S-P-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook.
  2. 2
    A picturesque or panoramic view; a landscape; hence, a sketch of a landscape.
  3. 3
    A position affording a fine view; a lookout.
  4. 4
    Relative position of the front of a building or other structure; face; relative aspect.
  5. 5
    The act of looking forward; foresight; anticipation.
  6. 6
    The potential things that may come to pass, often favorable.
  7. 7
    A hope; a hopeful.
  8. 8
    Any player whose rights are owned by a top-level professional team, but who has yet to play a game for said team.
  9. 9
    A potential client or customer.
  10. 10
    The façade of an organ.

Etymology

From Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analysis, pro- + -spect. Doublet of prospectus. The verb is from the noun.

This word in other languages

perspectiva(Español)perspective(Français)Sicht(Deutsch)expectativa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: porspect,pprospect,propsect,prosepct,prospcet,prospecct,prospectt,prospetc,prosppect,prosspect,prrospect,prsopect,rpospect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

porspect2pprospect1propsect2prosepct2prospcet2prospecct1prospectt1prospetc2
Edit distance from "prospect"

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 "prospect"?
"prospect" is spelled P-R-O-S-P-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/.
What does "prospect" mean?
As a noun, "prospect" means: The region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook.
What words are commonly confused with "prospect"?
"prospect" is commonly confused with "protect", "prosper", "prospects". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prospect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prospect" is /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/. 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 "prospect"?
From Middle English prospecte, from Latin prōspectus (“view, sight, prospect; panorama”), from prōspiciō (“to look forward”) + -tus (suffix forming action nouns), from pro (“before, forward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look, to see”). By surface analys... 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 “prospect”

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

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