compass

/ˈkʌmpəs/

//ˈkʌmpəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“compass” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,517. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,517
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).

Corpus desk

Index EN-compass · compass · English

compass · rank #10,517 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,517
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commanders

Nearest frequency peer: commanders (-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 “compass”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “compass” 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).

compass vs compose
71% similar
compass vs compost
71% similar
compass vs compels
71% similar

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

Key facts for compass
PropertyValue
Headwordcompass
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌmpəs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,517
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “compass” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).compasslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “commanders” (#10,516), “considerations” (#10,518), “comfortably” (#10,515). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around compass (IPA /ˈkʌmpəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,517 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for compass, with forms such as "ccompass", "cmopass", and "comapss". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "compose", "compost", "compels", 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 compas (“a circle, circuit, limit, form, a mathematical instrument”), from Old French compas, from Medieval Latin compassus (“a circle, a circuit”), from Latin com- (“together”) + passus (“a pace, step, later a pass, way, route”); see pa… The correct English form is compass, spelled C-O-M-P-A-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).
  2. 2
    A pair of compasses (a device used to draw circular arcs and transfer length measurements).
  3. 3
    The range of notes of a musical instrument or voice.
  4. 4
    A space within limits; an area.
  5. 5
    An enclosing limit; a boundary, a circumference.
  6. 6
    Moderate bounds, limits of truth; moderation; due limits; used with within.
  7. 7
    Synonym of scope.
  8. 8
    Range, reach.
  9. 9
    A passing round; circuit; circuitous course.
  10. 10
    A curved circular form.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [H]ow many Seas to our fore-fathers impaſſable, for want of the Compaſſe?
  2. 1689/1690, John Locke, On improvement of understanding He that […] first discovered the use of the compass […] did more for the propagation of knowledge […] than those who built workhouses.

Etymology

From Middle English compas (“a circle, circuit, limit, form, a mathematical instrument”), from Old French compas, from Medieval Latin compassus (“a circle, a circuit”), from Latin com- (“together”) + passus (“a pace, step, later a pass, way, route”); see pass, pace.

Synonyms

magnetic compasspair of compasses

This word in other languages

brújula(Español)boussole(Français)Kompass(Deutsch)bússola(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompass
  • cmopass
  • comapss
  • commpass
  • compas
  • comppass
  • compsas
  • copmass
  • ocmpass

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompass1cmopass2comapss2commpass1compas1comppass1compsas2copmass2
Edit distance from "compass"

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 "compass"?
"compass" is spelled C-O-M-P-A-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌmpəs/.
What does "compass" mean?
As a noun, "compass" means: A magnetic or electronic device used to determine the cardinal directions (usually magnetic or true north).
What words are commonly confused with "compass"?
"compass" is commonly confused with "compose", "compost", "compels". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "compass"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compass" is /ˈkʌmpəs/. 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 "compass"?
From Middle English compas (“a circle, circuit, limit, form, a mathematical instrument”), from Old French compas, from Medieval Latin compassus (“a circle, a circuit”), from Latin com- (“together”) + passus (“a pace, step, later a pass, way, route... 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 "compass", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Croatia#10,523ceramic#10,507drowned#10,528budgets#10,504

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

chased9 variantsbounty9 variantsfalcon9 variantsfavors9 variants

What to do next

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

  • "compass" maps to 7 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "compose". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #10,517 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