candidacy

/ˈkændɪdəsi/

//ˈkændɪdəsi// noun

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

"candidacy" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“candidacy” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,859. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,859
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being a candidate; candidateship.

Corpus desk

Index EN-candidacy · candidacy · English

candidacy · rank #16,859 · 14 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,859
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH CAD

Nearest frequency peer: CAD (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “candidacy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “candidacy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

candidacy vs candidly
78% similar
candidacy vs candidate
78% similar
candidacy vs candida
78% similar

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

Key facts for candidacy
PropertyValue
Headwordcandidacy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkændɪdəsi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,859
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “candidacy”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).candidacylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “CAD” (#16,858), “bullock” (#16,857), “carve” (#16,861). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “candidacy” is #16,859. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around candidacy (IPA /ˈkændɪdəsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,859 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The state of being a candidate; candidateship.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for candidacy, with forms such as "acndidacy", "cadnidacy", and "canddiacy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "candidly", "candidate", "candida", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From candidate + -cy. The correct English form is candidacy, spelled C-A-N-D-I-D-A-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being a candidate; candidateship.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how candidacy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Let it be borne in mind, moreover, that since the period of his last candidacy he has rendered the most memorable services to the country
  2. Anyhow, if the opportunity presented itself, Requesens thought that Philip should support the candidacies of Giovanni Ricci, Clemente Dolerá, and Ghislieri, . . .

Etymology

From candidate + -cy.

This word in other languages

candidatura(Español)candidature(Français)Kandidatur(Deutsch)candidatura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acndidacy
  • cadnidacy
  • canddiacy
  • canddidacy
  • candiadcy
  • candidaccy
  • candidacyy
  • candidayc
  • candidcay
  • candiddacy
  • caniddacy
  • canndidacy
  • ccandidacy
  • cnadidacy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acndidacy2cadnidacy2canddiacy2canddidacy1candiadcy2candidaccy1candidacyy1candidayc2
Edit distance from "candidacy"

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 "candidacy"?
"candidacy" is spelled C-A-N-D-I-D-A-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkændɪdəsi/.
What does "candidacy" mean?
As a noun, "candidacy" means: The state of being a candidate; candidateship.
What words are commonly confused with "candidacy"?
"candidacy" is commonly confused with "candidly", "candidate", "candida". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "candidacy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "candidacy" is /ˈkændɪdəsi/. 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 "candidacy"?
From candidate + -cy. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "candidacy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cherished#16,862clubhouse#16,864Beethoven#16,850converter#16,873

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

expulsion14 variantsindefinite14 variantsplurality14 variantsphosphate14 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list