pure

/ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/

//ˈpjʊə(ɹ)// adj

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

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

The verdict

“pure” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,308 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,308
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pure vs put
50% similar
pure vs pus
50% similar
pure vs pye
50% similar

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

Key facts for pure
PropertyValue
Headwordpure
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,308
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pure” 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). pure 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 pure is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,308 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 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for pure, with forms such as "ppure", "prue", and "puer". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "put", "pus", "pye", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from Old Englis… The correct English form is pure, spelled P-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.
  2. 2
    Free of foreign material or pollutants.
  3. 3
    Free of immoral behavior or qualities; clean.
  4. 4
    Mere; that and that only.
  5. 5
    Done for its own sake instead of serving another branch of science.
  6. 6
    Of a single, simple sound or tone; said of some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.
  7. 7
    Without harmonics or overtones; not harsh or discordant.
  8. 8
    Having no side effects.
  9. 9
    A lot of.

Etymology

From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from Old English hlūtor, hluttor), Middle English skere (“pure, sheer, clear”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr), Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr), Middle English smete, smeate (“pure, refined”) (from Old English smǣte; compare Old English mǣre (“pure”)).

Synonyms

chastecherrycleanflawlesshalalidealimmaculatekoshernaturalperfectpristinepuresimon-pureunadulterateduncontaminatedundefiledunpollutedunsullieduntainteduntouchedvirgin

Antonyms

adulteratedcontaminateddefileddenatureddirtied/dirtyfilthyflawedharamimpurepollutedsulliedtaintedtreyfunclean

This word in other languages

puro(Español)pur(Français)pur(Deutsch)puro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ppure,prue,puer,purre,upre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ppure1prue2puer2purre1upre2
Edit distance from "pure"

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 "pure"?
"pure" is spelled P-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/.
What does "pure" mean?
As an adjective, "pure" means: Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.
What words are commonly confused with "pure"?
"pure" is commonly confused with "put", "pus", "pye". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pure"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pure" is /ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/. 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 "pure"?
From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from ... 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 “pure”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-U-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/ (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. pure 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