publish

/ˈpʌblɪʃ/

//ˈpʌblɪʃ// verb

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

"publish" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“publish” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,088 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,088
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To issue (something, such as printed work) for distribution and/or sale.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

publish vs punish
71% similar
publish vs purplish
75% similar
publish vs published
78% similar

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

Key facts for publish
PropertyValue
Headwordpublish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈpʌblɪʃ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,088
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “publish” 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). publish 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 publish is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpʌblɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,088 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for publish, with forms such as "pbulish", "ppublish", and "pubblish". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "punish", "purplish", "published", 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 publicen (by analogy with banish, finish), from Old French publier, from Latin publicare (“to make public, show or tell to the people, make known, declare, also (and earlier) confiscate for public use”), from publicus (“pertaining to the… The correct English form is publish, spelled P-U-B-L-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To issue (something, such as printed work) for distribution and/or sale.
  2. 2
    To announce to the public.
  3. 3
    To issue the work of (an author).
  4. 4
    To disseminate (a message) publicly via a newsgroup, forum, blog, etc.
  5. 5
    To issue a medium (e.g. publication).
  6. 6
    To have one's work accepted for a publication.
  7. 7
    To be made available in a printed publication or other medium.
  8. 8
    To make (information such as an event) available to components that wish to be notified (subscribers).
  9. 9
    To preach (as a Jehovah's Witness).

Etymology

From Middle English publicen (by analogy with banish, finish), from Old French publier, from Latin publicare (“to make public, show or tell to the people, make known, declare, also (and earlier) confiscate for public use”), from publicus (“pertaining to the people, public”); see public.

Synonyms

disclosemake knownpost

Antonyms

private

This word in other languages

publicar(Español)publier(Français)herausgeben(Deutsch)anunciar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pbulish,ppublish,pubblish,pubilsh,publihs,publishh,publissh,publlish,publsih,pulbish,upblish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pbulish2ppublish1pubblish1pubilsh2publihs2publishh1publissh1publlish1
Edit distance from "publish"

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 "publish"?
"publish" is spelled P-U-B-L-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpʌblɪʃ/.
What does "publish" mean?
As a verb, "publish" means: To issue (something, such as printed work) for distribution and/or sale.
What words are commonly confused with "publish"?
"publish" is commonly confused with "punish", "purplish", "published". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "publish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "publish" is /ˈpʌblɪʃ/. 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 "publish"?
From Middle English publicen (by analogy with banish, finish), from Old French publier, from Latin publicare (“to make public, show or tell to the people, make known, declare, also (and earlier) confiscate for public use”), from publicus (“pertain... 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 “publish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-U-B-L-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “punish” - see the side-by-side comparison. publish vs punish
  • 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