canvass

/ˈkænvəs/

//ˈkænvəs// verb

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

"canvass" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“canvass” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,475. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,475
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.

Corpus desk

Index EN-canvass · canvass · English

canvass · rank #36,475 · 8 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,475
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH canto

Nearest frequency peer: canto (-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 “canvass”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “canvass” 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).

canvass vs carcass
71% similar
canvass vs canvas
86% similar

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

Key facts for canvass
PropertyValue
Headwordcanvass
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkænvəs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#36,475
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “canvass”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).canvasslands 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 “canto” (#36,474), “Carolinas” (#36,476), “buttoned” (#36,472). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “canvass” is #36,475. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around canvass (IPA /ˈkænvəs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,475 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for canvass, with forms such as "acnvass", "canavss", and "cannvass". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "carcass", "canvas", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or a constitu… The correct English form is canvass, spelled C-A-N-V-A-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
  2. 2
    To scrutinize (the ballot in an election or the votes cast) and reject irregular votes; also, to challenge or dispute (an election result).
  3. 3
    To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc. from (people or a place)
  4. 4
    To seek the support of (voters or a constituency) in a forthcoming election or poll through personal solicitation or public addresses.
  5. 5
    To toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet for fun or as a punishment; to blanket.
  6. 6
    To batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something).
  7. 7
    To assail or attack (someone or something).
  8. 8
    To severely criticize (a person, a written work, etc.).
  9. 9
    To debate, to discuss.
  10. 10
    To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc.; to conduct a survey.
  11. 11
    To seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll; to campaign.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And with the aunſwere here vpon eftſoones in hand they go, / The doubtfull wordes wherof they ſcan and canuas to and fro.
  2. Vpon feſtiuall dayes he goes to Court, & ſalutes without reſaluting: at night in an Ordinary he canuaſſeth the buſineſſe in hand, and ſeems as conuerſant with all intents and plots as if he begot them.

Etymology

The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll” is not entirely clear. The noun is derived from the verb. It has been suggested that noun sense 4.2 (“rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.)”) may refer to the canvas bag used by journeymen mechanics which they used to pack up their tools after they had completed their jobs, in which case it is not derived from the verb but directly from canvas (noun).

This word in other languages

campañear(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acnvass
  • canavss
  • cannvass
  • canvsas
  • canvvass
  • cavnass
  • ccanvass
  • cnavass

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of canvass - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

acnvass2canavss2cannvass1canvsas2canvvass1cavnass2ccanvass1cnavass2
Edit distance from "canvass"

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 "canvass"?
"canvass" is spelled C-A-N-V-A-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkænvəs/.
What does "canvass" mean?
As a verb, "canvass" means: To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
What words are commonly confused with "canvass"?
"canvass" is commonly confused with "carcass", "canvas". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "canvass"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "canvass" is /ˈkænvəs/. 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 "canvass"?
The verb is derived from canvas (“type of coarse cloth woven from hemp”). The connection between “to toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet; (by extension) to batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something); etc.” and “to seek the support of voters or ... 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 "canvass", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Bugatti#36,468brahmin#36,461brahman#36,460blushes#36,456

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Barbs8 variantscynic8 variantsdaemon8 variantsattains8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list