combine

/kəmˈbaɪn/

//kəmˈbaɪn// verb

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

"combine" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“combine” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,771 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,771
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

combine vs coming
71% similar
combine vs Corbin
57% similar
combine vs commie
71% similar

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

Key facts for combine
PropertyValue
Headwordcombine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kəmˈbaɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,771
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “combine” 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). combine 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 combine is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəmˈbaɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,771 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for combine, with forms such as "ccombine", "cmobine", and "cobmine". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "coming", "Corbin", "commie", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English combynyn, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre (“unite, yoke together”), from Latin con- (“together”) + bīnī (“two by two”). The correct English form is combine, spelled C-O-M-B-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite.
  2. 2
    To have two or more things or properties that function together.
  3. 3
    To come together; to unite.
  4. 4
    In the game of casino, to play a card which will take two or more cards whose aggregate number of pips equals those of the card played.
  5. 5
    To bind; to hold by a moral tie.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English combynyn, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre (“unite, yoke together”), from Latin con- (“together”) + bīnī (“two by two”).

Synonyms

synonyms at Thesaurus:coalesce

Antonyms

divideseparatedisunite

This word in other languages

combinar(Español)combiner(Français)kombinieren(Deutsch)combinar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccombine,cmobine,cobmine,combbine,combien,combinne,combnie,comibne,commbine,ocmbine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccombine1cmobine2cobmine2combbine1combien2combinne1combnie2comibne2
Edit distance from "combine"

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 "combine"?
"combine" is spelled C-O-M-B-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈbaɪn/.
What does "combine" mean?
As a verb, "combine" means: To bring (two or more things or activities) together; to unite.
What words are commonly confused with "combine"?
"combine" is commonly confused with "coming", "Corbin", "commie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "combine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "combine" is /kəmˈbaɪn/. 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 "combine"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English combynyn, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre (“unite, yoke together”), from Latin con- (“together”) + bīnī (“two by two”). 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.

Using “combine”

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

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