coarse

/kɔːs/

//kɔːs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“coarse” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,865. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,865
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - With a rough texture; not smooth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coarse · coarse · English

coarse · rank #16,865 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,865
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH clubhouse

Nearest frequency peer: clubhouse (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “coarse”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “coarse” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

coarse vs core
67% similar
coarse vs coast
67% similar
coarse vs curse
67% similar

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

Key facts for coarse
PropertyValue
Headwordcoarse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kɔːs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,865
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “coarse” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).coarse lands 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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around coarse (IPA /kɔːs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #16,865 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for coarse, with forms such as "caorse", "ccoarse", and "coares". 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, "core", "coast", "curse", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. C… The correct English form is coarse, spelled C-O-A-R-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    With a rough texture; not smooth.
  2. 2
    Composed of large particles.
  3. 3
    Lacking refinement, taste or delicacy.
  4. 4
    Unrefined.
  5. 5
    Of inferior quality.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Two hundred Sempſtreſſes were employed to make me Shirts, and Linen for Bed and Table, all of the ſtrongeft and coarſeſt kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in ſeveral Folds, for the thickeſt was ſome degrees finer than Lawn.
  2. Graham flour is coarsely granulated wheat meal. No sieves or bolting cloths are employed in its manufacture, and many coarse, unpulverized particles are present in the product.

Etymology

Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. Compare the development of mean.

Synonyms

thickroughsharphardroughrudeuncouthbluntunpolishedinelegantindelicatevulgargrittyobscenecrassearthy

Antonyms

fine

This word in other languages

tosco(Español)grossier(Français)rau(Deutsch)áspero(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • caorse
  • ccoarse
  • coares
  • coarrse
  • coarsse
  • coasre
  • corase
  • ocarse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

caorse2ccoarse1coares2coarrse1coarsse1coasre2corase2ocarse2
Edit distance from "coarse"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "coarse"?
"coarse" is spelled C-O-A-R-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kɔːs/.
What does "coarse" mean?
As an adjective, "coarse" means: With a rough texture; not smooth.
What words are commonly confused with "coarse"?
"coarse" is commonly confused with "core", "coast", "curse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "coarse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coarse" is /kɔːs/. 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 "coarse"?
Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application t... 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 "coarse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

climbs#16,863boxers#16,855biking#16,851depict#16,887

Similar misspelling depth

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

darts8 variantsEmmanuel8 variantsfilth8 variantsfunnier8 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "coarse". Here's where to go from here.

  • "coarse" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "core". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #16,865 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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