puff

/pʌf/

//pʌf// noun

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

"puff" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“puff” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,992 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,992
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

puff vs put
50% similar
puff vs pup
50% similar
puff vs pun
50% similar

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

Key facts for puff
PropertyValue
Headwordpuff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pʌf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#13,992
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “puff” 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). puff 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 puff is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pʌf/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,992 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for puff, with forms such as "pfuf", "ppuff", and "puf". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "put", "pup", "pun", 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 puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”). The correct English form is puff, spelled P-U-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
  2. 2
    The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
  3. 3
    A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
  4. 4
    A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc.
  5. 5
    An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
  6. 6
    The drug cannabis.
  7. 7
    A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise.
  8. 8
    A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle.
  9. 9
    A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
  10. 10
    A puffball.
  11. 11
    A powder puff.
  12. 12
    A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.
  13. 13
    A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.
  14. 14
    Life.
  15. 15
    Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate.

Etymology

From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”).

This word in other languages

bocanada(Español)souffle(Français)Hauch(Deutsch)sopro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pfuf,ppuff,puf,upff

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of puff - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

pfuf2ppuff1puf1upff2
Edit distance from "puff"

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 "puff"?
"puff" is spelled P-U-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /pʌf/.
What does "puff" mean?
As a noun, "puff" means: A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
What words are commonly confused with "puff"?
"puff" is commonly confused with "put", "pup", "pun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "puff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "puff" is /pʌf/. 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 "puff"?
From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”). 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 “puff”

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

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