pry
/pɹaɪ/verb, noun
pry is spelled P-R-Y: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, pry means “To peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pry?
| Letters | 3: P-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 26,092nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pry?
Pry appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pry?
- /pɹaɪ/
Pry has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-pry.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pry
- pries present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- prying participle, present
- pried participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pry mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public.
- 2
To inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy; to snoop.
I don't mean to pry, but could you tell me where you got that scarf?
- 3
obsoleteTo peer at (something) closely; also, to look into (a matter, etc.) thoroughly.
- 4
To use leverage to open, raise, or widen (something); to prise or prize.
- 5
Usually followed by out (of): to draw out or get (information, etc.) with effort.
noun
- 1
An act of prying; a close and curious look.
- 2
A person who is very inquisitive or nosy; a busybody, a nosey parker.
- 3
USA tool for levering; a crowbar, a lever.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pry in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fureter, fouiller, scruter , s'immiscer |
| German | genau hinsehen, genau nachsehen , schnüffeln , Hebel , aufhebeln |
| Spanish | husmear, curiosear, sapear , entremeterse, fisgar, fisgonear |
| Portuguese | bisbilhotar, xeretar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pry come from?
The verb is inherited from Middle English prien, pryen (“to look closely, peer into, pry, spy”) [and other forms], from Old English *prīwan, *prēowian (“to look narrowly, to squint at”), attested by Old English beprīwan, beprēwan (“to wink”); further etymology unknown, but probably akin to Old English *prēowot (“closing of the eyes”), attested only in combination – compare prēowthwīl (“blink or twinkling of an eye, moment”), princ (“a wink”): see prink. The noun is derived from the verb.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).