Learn How to Pronounce per
(Listen to the audio above for the stress and intonation)
The Expert's Take
Meaning and Context
Derived from the Latin preposition meaning "through" or "by means of," per is a versatile and indispensable term in the English language, functioning primarily as a preposition to denote unit rates, distribution, or agency. Its most frequent application is in expressing ratios and measurements, such as miles per gallon, cost per unit, or revenue per employee, making it a cornerstone of precise communication in finance, science, logistics, and economics. In formal and business correspondence, it conveys accordance, as in per your request or as per the contract, establishing a basis for action. Historically, in medical terminology and legal documents, it appears in Latin phrases like per os (by mouth), though contemporary usage often substitutes plain English. As a prefix, per- intensifies or completes an action, seen in words like perforate (to bore through), perennial (lasting through years), and persistent (thoroughly insistent). This multifaceted utility ensures per remains a critical, high-frequency keyword in technical writing, SEO content for business operations, and instructional materials, anchoring clarity in quantitative and procedural contexts.
Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings
Given its brevity, per is rarely misspelled in its standalone form, but common errors arise in its application within phrases. A frequent typo is the substitution of pre for per, especially in hurried writing (e.g., "pre your advice"). In the common phrase "as per," some may incorrectly write "asper," merging the words. When used as a prefix, confusion can occur with similar-sounding prefixes like pre- (before) or pro- (for), leading to malformed words; for instance, "perview" instead of the correct purview (which is not derived from per-). In expressions of rate, a grammatical error sometimes appears where "a" or "an" is incorrectly used alongside per (e.g., "$50 per an hour" is redundant; the correct form is "$50 per hour"). Additionally, in medical charting, the traditional Latin per os is sometimes erroneously written as "per orem," demonstrating a confusion of Latin terms.
Example Sentences
The new manufacturing process has increased our output to 1,000 widgets per hour, significantly improving efficiency.
Please process the invoice per the payment terms outlined in section 4.2 of our agreement.
The doctor instructed the patient to take the medication twice daily, per os.
When calculating the project's viability, we analyzed the energy consumption per square foot.
Her dedication was per her usual standard, thorough and unwavering.
The chemical reaction requires a catalyst to proceed per the mechanism described in the study.
For budgeting, we need to know the average cost per attendee for the conference.
Sources and References
This common preposition is found in Wiktionary, Wikipedia, Forvo, YouGlish, and the OED. I used these to explain both its everyday usage and its more formal Latin-derived applications in technical contexts.
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/per
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per
- https://forvo.com/word/per/
- https://youglish.com/pronounce/per/english
- https://www.oed.com/dictionary/per_n
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