purge

/pɜːd͡ʒ/

//pɜːd͡ʒ// verb

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

"purge" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“purge” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,590 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,590
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

purge vs puri
60% similar
purge vs purr
60% similar
purge vs pyre
60% similar

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

Key facts for purge
PropertyValue
Headwordpurge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pɜːd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,590
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “purge” 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). purge 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 purge is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɜːd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,590 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for purge, with forms such as "ppurge", "pruge", and "pugre". 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, "puri", "purr", "pyre", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“I make pure, I cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“I make, I do”). The correct English form is purge, spelled P-U-R-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse.
  2. 2
    To remove by cleansing; to wash away.
  3. 3
    To free from sin, guilt, or burden.
  4. 4
    To evacuate (the bowels or the stomach); to defecate or vomit.
  5. 5
    To cause someone to purge; to operate (on somebody) using a cathartic or emetic, or in a similar manner.
  6. 6
    To forcibly remove, for example, from political activity.
  7. 7
    To forcibly remove people by an organization.
  8. 8
    To clear of a charge, suspicion, or imputation.
  9. 9
    To clarify; to clear the dregs from (liquor).
  10. 10
    To become pure, as by clarification.
  11. 11
    To have or produce frequent evacuations from the intestines, as by means of a cathartic.
  12. 12
    To trim, dress, or prune.

Etymology

From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“I make pure, I cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“I make, I do”).

This word in other languages

purgar(Español)éliminer(Français)säubern(Deutsch)purgar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ppurge,pruge,pugre,pureg,purgge,purrge,uprge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of purge - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ppurge1pruge2pugre2pureg2purgge1purrge1uprge2
Edit distance from "purge"

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 "purge"?
"purge" is spelled P-U-R-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pɜːd͡ʒ/.
What does "purge" mean?
As a verb, "purge" means: To clean thoroughly; to rid of impurities; to cleanse.
What words are commonly confused with "purge"?
"purge" is commonly confused with "puri", "purr", "pyre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "purge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "purge" is /pɜːd͡ʒ/. 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 "purge"?
From Middle English purgen, from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō (“I make pure, I cleanse”), from pūrus (“clean, pure”) + agō (“I make, I do”). 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 “purge”

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

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