# commence

> English word · Verb · IPA /kəˈmɛns/ · frequency rank #13,119

## Definitions
1. To begin, start.
2. To begin, start.
3. To begin to be, or to act as.
4. To take a degree at a university.

## Etymology
From Middle English commencen, comencen (also as contracted comsen, cumsen), from Anglo-Norman comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiāre, formed from Latin com- + initiō (whence English initiate).

## Easily confused with
- **comment** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-comment)
- **commune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commune)
- **commend** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commend)
- **comments** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-comments)
- **commerce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commerce)
- **commented** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commented)
- **commenced** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commenced)
- **commenter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/commence-vs-commenter)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ccommence`, `cmomence`, `comemnce`, `comence`, `commance`, `commecne`, `commencce`, `commenec`, `commennce`, `commnece`, `ocmmence`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/commence