code
/kəʊd/
"code" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“code” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #863 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #863
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
- 4
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A short textual designation, often with little relation to the item it represents.
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 | code |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /kəʊd/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #863 |
| Misspellings tracked | 4 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “code” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for code is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəʊd/. Corpus data places it at rank #863 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for code, with forms such as "ccode", "cdoe", and "codde". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cop", "con", "cow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English code (“system of law”), from Old French code (“system of law”), from Latin cōdex, later form of caudex (“the stock or stem of a tree, a board or tablet of wood smeared over with wax, on which the ancients originally wrote; hence, a book,… The correct English form is code, spelled C-O-D-E.
Definition
- 1A short textual designation, often with little relation to the item it represents.
- 2A body of law, sanctioned by legislation, in which the rules of law to be specifically applied by the courts are set forth in systematic form; a compilation of laws by public authority; a digest.
- 3Any system of principles, rules or regulations relating to one subject.
- 4A set of rules for converting information into another form or representation.
- 5A set of rules for converting information into another form or representation.
- 6A message represented by rules intended to conceal its meaning.
- 7A cryptographic system using a codebook that converts words or phrases into codewords.
- 8Instructions for a computer, written in a programming language; the input of a translator, an interpreter or a browser, namely: source code, machine code, bytecode.
- 9A program.
- 10A particular lect or language variety.
- 11An emergency requiring situation-trained members of the staff.
- 12A set of unwritten rules that bind a social group.
Etymology
From Middle English code (“system of law”), from Old French code (“system of law”), from Latin cōdex, later form of caudex (“the stock or stem of a tree, a board or tablet of wood smeared over with wax, on which the ancients originally wrote; hence, a book, a writing.”). Doublet of codex. Verb etymology 1 sense 7 is an ellipsis of code blue (“medical emergency”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccode,cdoe,codde,ocde
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of code - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "code"?
What does "code" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "code"?
How do you pronounce "code"?
What is the origin of the word "code"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “code”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /kəʊd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “cop” - see the side-by-side comparison. code vs cop
- 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.