# pure

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpjʊə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #2,308

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

## Easily confused with
- **put** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-put)
- **pus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-pus)
- **pye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-pye)
- **push** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-push)
- **puts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-puts)
- **putt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-putt)
- **puss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-puss)
- **puri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-puri)
- **purr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purr)
- **pyre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-pyre)
- **Pyke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-pyke)
- **purse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purse)
- **purge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purge)
- **purple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purple)
- **pursue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-pursue)
- **purely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purely)
- **purest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pure-vs-purest)
- **PR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pr-vs-pure)
- **PE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pe-vs-pure)
- **PU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pu-vs-pure)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ppure`, `prue`, `puer`, `purre`, `upre`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pure