prise

\pʁiz\

/\pʁiz\/ noun

The verdict

“prise” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #758 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#758
frequency rank, French
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Faculté de prendre, de saisir.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

prise vs puis
60% similar
prise vs prix
60% similar
prise vs pros
60% similar

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

Key facts for prise
PropertyValue
Headwordprise
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pʁiz\
Letters5
Frequency rank#758
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “prise” sits in French 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). prise 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 French entry for prise is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pʁiz\. Corpus data places it at rank #758 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 18 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 prise, with forms such as "pirse", "pprise", and "pries". 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, "puis", "prix", "pros", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is prise, spelled P-R-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Faculté de prendre, de saisir.
  2. 2
    Action de prendre quelqu’un ou quelque chose.
  3. 3
    Action de s’emparer d’un navire ; le navire capturé.
  4. 4
    Succession de mouvements ayant pour but de neutraliser un adversaire ou de s’en libérer.
  5. 5
    Manière de tenir un engin de sport.
  6. 6
    Chose ou proie qui a été saisie.
  7. 7
    Personne ou chose qui s’est jointe, a été attirée, est demeurée.
  8. 8
    Saillie ou autre relief permettant de prendre appui pour l’escalade.
  9. 9
    Dose qu’on prend en une fois, en parlant de médicament ou de drogue.
  10. 10
    Pincée de tabac.
  11. 11
    Solidification en parlant du plâtre, du ciment, de la chaux, etc.
  12. 12
    Coagulation, caillage, en parlant du lait.
  13. 13
    Action de combattre. Il se dit aussi de deux ou de plusieurs personnes qui disputent ou qui jouent les unes contre les autres. On ne l’emploie guère en ce sens que dans les locutions suivantes :
  14. 14
    prise de courant ou port de données électronique.
  15. 15
    Fiche (électrique, ou de câble de données).
  16. 16
    Terrain pris sur la mer.
  17. 17
    L'une des trois chances d'un frappeur, de l'anglais strike.
  18. 18
    Séquence de tournage.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pirse,pprise,pries,prisse,prrise,prsie,rpise

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of prise - 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.

pirse2pprise1pries2prisse1prrise1prsie2rpise2
Edit distance from "prise"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "prise"?
"prise" is spelled P-R-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is \pʁiz\.
What does "prise" mean?
As a noun, "prise" means: Faculté de prendre, de saisir.
What words are commonly confused with "prise"?
"prise" is commonly confused with "puis", "prix", "pros". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "prise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "prise" is \pʁiz\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "prise" come from?
"prise" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “prise”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is P-R-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pʁiz\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “puis” - see the side-by-side comparison. prise vs puis
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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