call

/kɔːl/

//kɔːl// verb

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

"call" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“call” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #287 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#287
frequency rank, English
4
letters
3
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To reach out with one's voice.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

call vs Cl
25% similar
call vs can
50% similar
call vs car
50% similar

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

Key facts for call
PropertyValue
Headwordcall
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɔːl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#287
Misspellings tracked3
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “call” 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). call 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 call is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɔːl/. Corpus data places it at rank #287 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 32 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for call, with forms such as "acll", "ccall", and "clal". 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, "Cl", "can", "car", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English callen, from Old English ċeallian (“to call, shout”) and Old Norse kalla (“to call; shout; refer to as; name”); both from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną (“to call, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *golH-so- (“voice, cry”), from *gel(H)- (“to v… The correct English form is call, spelled C-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To reach out with one's voice.
  2. 2
    To reach out with one's voice.
  3. 3
    To reach out with one's voice.
  4. 4
    To reach out with one's voice.
  5. 5
    To reach out with one's voice.
  6. 6
    To reach out with one's voice.
  7. 7
    To reach out with one's voice.
  8. 8
    To visit.
  9. 9
    To visit.
  10. 10
    To visit.
  11. 11
    To name, identify, or describe.
  12. 12
    To name, identify, or describe.
  13. 13
    To name, identify, or describe.
  14. 14
    To name, identify, or describe.
  15. 15
    To name, identify, or describe.
  16. 16
    To declare, or declare in favor of, a predicted or actual result.
  17. 17
    To declare, or declare in favor of, a predicted or actual result.
  18. 18
    To declare, or declare in favor of, a predicted or actual result.
  19. 19
    To declare, or declare in favor of, a predicted or actual result.
  20. 20
    To declare, or declare in favor of, a predicted or actual result.
  21. 21
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  22. 22
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  23. 23
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  24. 24
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  25. 25
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  26. 26
    Direct or indirect use of the voice.
  27. 27
    To require, demand.
  28. 28
    To cause to be verbally subjected to.
  29. 29
    To lay claim to an object or role which is up for grabs.
  30. 30
    To announce the early extinction of a debt by prepayment, usually at a premium.
  31. 31
    To demand repayment of a loan.
  32. 32
    To jump to (another part of a program); to perform some operation, returning to the original point on completion.

Etymology

From Middle English callen, from Old English ċeallian (“to call, shout”) and Old Norse kalla (“to call; shout; refer to as; name”); both from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną (“to call, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *golH-so- (“voice, cry”), from *gel(H)- (“to vocalize, call, shout”). Cognates * Scots call, caw, ca (“to call, cry, shout”) * Dutch kallen (“to chat, talk”) * German Low German kallen (“to speak, talk”) * German kallen (“to call”) * Swedish kalla (“to call, refer to, beckon”) * Norwegian kalle (“to call, name”) * Danish kalde (“to call, name”) * Icelandic kalla (“to call, shout, name”) * Welsh galw (“to call, demand”) * Polish głos (“voice”) * Lithuanian gal̃sas (“echo”) * Russian голос (golos, “voice”) * Albanian gjuhë (“language, tongue”).

This word in other languages

llamar(Español)appeler(Français)rufen(Deutsch)chamar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acll,ccall,clal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acll2ccall1clal2
Edit distance from "call"

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 "call"?
"call" is spelled C-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔːl/.
What does "call" mean?
As a verb, "call" means: To reach out with one's voice.
What words are commonly confused with "call"?
"call" is commonly confused with "Cl", "can", "car". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "call"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "call" is /kɔːl/. 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 "call"?
From Middle English callen, from Old English ċeallian (“to call, shout”) and Old Norse kalla (“to call; shout; refer to as; name”); both from Proto-Germanic *kalzōną (“to call, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *golH-so- (“voice, cry”), from *gel(... 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 “call”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kɔːl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Cl” - see the side-by-side comparison. call vs Cl
  • 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