canvass
/ˈkænvəs/
"canvass" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“canvass” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,475 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #36,475
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | canvass |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈkænvəs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #36,475 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “canvass” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for canvass is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkænvəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,475 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
- 2To scrutinize (the ballot in an election or the votes cast) and reject irregular votes; also, to challenge or dispute (an election result).
- 3To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc. from (people or a place)
- 4To seek the support of (voters or a constituency) in a forthcoming election or poll through personal solicitation or public addresses.
- 5To toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet for fun or as a punishment; to blanket.
- 6To batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something).
- 7To assail or attack (someone or something).
- 8To severely criticize (a person, a written work, etc.).
- 9To debate, to discuss.
- 10To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc.; to conduct a survey.
- 11To seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll; to campaign.
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
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.
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"?
What does "canvass" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "canvass"?
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Using “canvass”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-N-V-A-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkænvəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “carcass” - see the side-by-side comparison. canvass vs carcass
- 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.