comma

/ˈkɒmə/

//ˈkɒmə// noun

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

"comma" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“comma” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,315 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,315
frequency rank, English
5
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

comma vs comp
60% similar
comma vs Cora
40% similar
comma vs Como
40% similar

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

Key facts for comma
PropertyValue
Headwordcomma
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒmə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,315
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “comma” 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). comma 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 comma is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒmə/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,315 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 comma, with forms such as "ccomma", "cmoma", and "comam". 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, "comp", "Cora", "Como", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma), from κόπτω (kóptō, “I cut”). The correct English form is comma, spelled C-O-M-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
  2. 2
    A similar-looking subscript diacritical mark.
  3. 3
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Polygonia, having a comma-shaped white mark on the underwings, especially Polygonia c-album and Polygonia c-aureum of North Africa, Europe, and Asia.
  4. 4
    A difference in the calculation of nearly identical intervals by different ways.
  5. 5
    A delimiting marker between items in a genetic sequence.
  6. 6
    In Ancient Greek rhetoric, a short clause, something less than a colon, originally denoted by comma marks. In antiquity it was defined as a combination of words having no more than eight syllables in all. It was later applied to longer phrases, e.g. the Johannine comma.
  7. 7
    A brief interval.

Etymology

From Latin comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma), from κόπτω (kóptō, “I cut”).

This word in other languages

coma(Español)virgule(Français)Beistrich(Deutsch)vírgula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccomma,cmoma,comam,ocmma

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccomma1cmoma2comam2ocmma2
Edit distance from "comma"

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 "comma"?
"comma" is spelled C-O-M-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒmə/.
What does "comma" mean?
As a noun, "comma" means: The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
What words are commonly confused with "comma"?
"comma" is commonly confused with "comp", "Cora", "Como". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "comma"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "comma" is /ˈkɒmə/. 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 "comma"?
From Latin comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma), from κόπτω (kóptō, “I cut”). 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 “comma”

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

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