quid pro quo
/ˌkwɪd.pɹəʊˈkwəʊ/
"quid-pro-quo" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“quid pro quo” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something which is understood as something else; an equivocation.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | quid pro quo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌkwɪd.pɹəʊˈkwəʊ/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “quid pro quo” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
quid pro quo is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌkwɪd.pɹəʊˈkwəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.
quid pro quo doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin quid prō quō (literally “something for something”). The correct English form is quid pro quo, spelled Q-U-I-D- -P-R-O- -Q-U-O.
Definition
- 1Something which is understood as something else; an equivocation.
- 2Substitution of one drug for another.
- 3Something which is offered or asked for in exchange for something else.
- 4A usually non-monetary exchange transaction, or series or process of exchange transactions.
- 5A usually non-monetary exchange transaction, or series or process of exchange transactions.
- 6Sexual harassment in which a person in a workplace implicitly or explicitly requires sexual favours in exchange for something.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin quid prō quō (literally “something for something”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “quid pro quo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is Q-U-I-D- -P-R-O- -Q-U-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌkwɪd.pɹəʊˈkwəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.