commander

/kəˈmændɚ/

//kəˈmændɚ// noun

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

"commander" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“commander” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,935 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,935
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

commander vs commands
78% similar
commander vs commando
78% similar
commander vs commoner
78% similar

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

Key facts for commander
PropertyValue
Headwordcommander
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kəˈmændɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,935
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “commander” 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). commander 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 commander is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈmændɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,935 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for commander, with forms such as "ccommander", "cmomander", and "comamnder". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "commands", "commando", "commoner", 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 Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command + -er. See command. The correct English form is commander, spelled C-O-M-M-A-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
  2. 2
    A naval officer whose rank is above that of a lieutenant commander and below that of captain.
  3. 3
    One who exercises control and direction over a group of persons.
  4. 4
    A designation or rank in certain non-military organizations such as NASA and various police forces.
  5. 5
    The chief officer of a commandry.
  6. 6
    A heavy beetle or wooden mallet, used in paving, in sail lofts, etc.
  7. 7
    A rank within an honorary order: e.g. Commander of the Legion of Honour.
  8. 8
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Moduza.
  9. 9
    A soldier who has attained the rank of sergeant or higher

Etymology

From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command + -er. See command.

This word in other languages

comandante(Español)commandant(Français)Befehlshaber(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccommander,cmomander,comamnder,comander,commadner,commandder,commanderr,commandre,commanedr,commannder,commnader,ocmmander

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of commander - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ccommander1cmomander2comamnder2comander1commadner2commandder1commanderr1commandre2
Edit distance from "commander"

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 "commander"?
"commander" is spelled C-O-M-M-A-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈmændɚ/.
What does "commander" mean?
As a noun, "commander" means: One who exercises control and direction of a military or naval organization.
What words are commonly confused with "commander"?
"commander" is commonly confused with "commands", "commando", "commoner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "commander"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "commander" is /kəˈmændɚ/. 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 "commander"?
From Middle English comaundour, commaunder, comaunder, borrowed from Old French comandeor, cumandeur, from comander. By surface analysis, command + -er. See command. 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 “commander”

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

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