Colfax

/ˈkoʊlfæks/

//ˈkoʊlfæks// name

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

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

The verdict

“Colfax” is uncommon English (frequency #51,027 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,027
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An English surname.

Corpus desk

Index EN-colfax · Colfax · English

Colfax · rank #51,027 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,027
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coincident

Nearest frequency peer: coincident (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “Colfax”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Colfax” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Colfax
PropertyValue
HeadwordColfax
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkoʊlfæks/
Letters6
Frequency rank#51,027
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Colfax” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Colfaxfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “coincident” (#51,026), “colonist” (#51,028), “coffeehouse” (#51,025). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “Colfax” is #51,027. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Colfax is uncommon English at frequency #51,027 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈkoʊlfæks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 15 senses are on record.

Colfax has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From coal + fox, describing a fox with black marks. The correct English form is Colfax, spelled C-O-L-F-A-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    An English surname.
  2. 2
    A number of places in the United States:
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States:
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States:
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States:
  6. 6
    A number of places in the United States:
  7. 7
    A number of places in the United States:
  8. 8
    A number of places in the United States:
  9. 9
    A number of places in the United States:
  10. 10
    A number of places in the United States:
  11. 11
    A number of places in the United States:
  12. 12
    A number of places in the United States:
  13. 13
    A number of places in the United States:
  14. 14
    A number of places in the United States:
  15. 15
    A community in Saskatchewan, Canada; named for the city in Iowa.

Etymology

From coal + fox, describing a fox with black marks.

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 "Colfax"?
"Colfax" is spelled C-O-L-F-A-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkoʊlfæks/.
What does "Colfax" mean?
As a proper noun, "Colfax" means: An English surname.
How do you pronounce "Colfax"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Colfax" is /ˈkoʊlfæks/. 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 "Colfax"?
From coal + fox, describing a fox with black marks. 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 "Colfax", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ciaran#51,021costed#51,037caries#51,012busing#51,007

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list