comb

/kəʊm/

//kəʊm// noun

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

"comb" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“comb” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,493. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,493
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A toothed implement:

Corpus desk

Index EN-comb · comb · English

comb · rank #14,493 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,493
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH civilized

Nearest frequency peer: civilized (-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 “comb”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “comb” 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).

comb vs cop
50% similar
comb vs con
50% similar
comb vs cow
50% similar

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

Key facts for comb
PropertyValue
Headwordcomb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəʊm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,493
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “comb” 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). comb lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around comb (IPA /kəʊm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,493 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 20 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for comb, with forms such as "ccomb", "cmob", and "cobm". 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, "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 comb, from Old English camb (“comb”), from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”), a doublet of cam. The verb is derived from the noun and displaced the older verb kem… The correct English form is comb, spelled C-O-M-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A toothed implement:
  2. 2
    A toothed implement:
  3. 3
    A toothed implement:
  4. 4
    A toothed implement:
  5. 5
    A toothed implement:
  6. 6
    A toothed implement:
  7. 7
    A toothed implement:
  8. 8
    A toothed implement:
  9. 9
    A toothed implement:
  10. 10
    A toothed implement:
  11. 11
    A crest:
  12. 12
    A crest:
  13. 13
    A crest:
  14. 14
    A structure of hexagon cells made by bees for storing honey; honeycomb.
  15. 15
    The main body of a harmonica containing the air chambers and to which the reed plates are attached.
  16. 16
    A former, commonly cone-shaped, used in hat manufacturing for hardening soft fibre.
  17. 17
    An old English measure of corn equal to the half quarter.
  18. 18
    The curling crest of a wave; a comber.
  19. 19
    A connected and reduced curve with irreducible components consisting of a smooth subcurve (called the handle) and one or more additional irreducible components (called teeth) that each intersect the handle in a single point that is unequal to the unique point of intersection for any of the other teeth.
  20. 20
    A kind of vertical plate in a lode.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There was also hairdressing: hairdressing, too, really was hairdressing in those times — no running a comb through it and that was that. It was curled, frizzed, waved, put in curlers overnight, waved with hot tongs;[…].
  2. Ctenophores are mostly planktonic creatures about the size and shape of a kiwi fruit or grape, bearing rows of beating "combs."

Etymology

From Middle English comb, from Old English camb (“comb”), from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”), a doublet of cam. The verb is derived from the noun and displaced the older verb kemb. Cognates Compare Saterland Frisian Koum, Swedish/Dutch kam, Danish kam, Norwegian kam, German Kamm; also Tocharian B keme, Lithuanian žam̃bas (“sharp edge”), Old Church Slavonic зѫбъ (zǫbŭ), Albanian dhëmb, Ancient Greek γομφίος (gomphíos, “backtooth, molar”), Sanskrit जम्भ (jambha)).

Synonyms

cockscombcrest

This word in other languages

peine(Español)peigne(Français)Kamm(Deutsch)pente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccomb
  • cmob
  • cobm
  • combb
  • commb
  • ocmb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccomb1cmob2cobm2combb1commb1ocmb2
Edit distance from "comb"

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 "comb"?
"comb" is spelled C-O-M-B. The IPA pronunciation is /kəʊm/.
What does "comb" mean?
As a noun, "comb" means: A toothed implement:
What words are commonly confused with "comb"?
"comb" is commonly confused with "cop", "con", "cow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "comb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "comb" is /kəʊm/. 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 "comb"?
From Middle English comb, from Old English camb (“comb”), from Proto-West Germanic *kamb, from Proto-Germanic *kambaz (“comb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵómbʰos (“tooth”), a doublet of cam. The verb is derived from the noun and displaced the olde... 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 "comb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

curl#14,502dams#14,503dart#14,505aura#14,468

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Caleb6 variantsdared6 variantsAlexa6 variantsweave6 variants

What to do next

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

  • "comb" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "cop". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #14,493 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