ceases

/ˈsiːsɪz/

//ˈsiːsɪz// verb

"ceases" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ceases” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,872 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#20,872
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - third-person singular simple present indicative of cease

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ceases vs class
67% similar
ceases vs chase
67% similar
ceases vs crass
67% similar

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

Key facts for ceases
PropertyValue
Headwordceases
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsiːsɪz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,872
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ceases” 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). ceases 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 ceases is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsiːsɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,872 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "third-person singular simple present indicative of cease".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ceases, with forms such as "caeses", "cceases", and "ceaess". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "class", "chase", "crass", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is ceases, spelled C-E-A-S-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of cease

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: caeses,cceases,ceaess,ceasess,ceasses,cesaes,ecases

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ceases - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

caeses2cceases1ceaess2ceasess1ceasses1cesaes2ecases2
Edit distance from "ceases"

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 "ceases"?
"ceases" is spelled C-E-A-S-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsiːsɪz/.
What does "ceases" mean?
As a verb, "ceases" means: third-person singular simple present indicative of cease
What words are commonly confused with "ceases"?
"ceases" is commonly confused with "class", "chase", "crass". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ceases"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ceases" is /ˈsiːsɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ceases" come from?
"ceases" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “ceases”

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

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