compelled

/kəmˈpɛld/

//kəmˈpɛld// adj

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

The verdict

“compelled” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,829. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,829
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Driven; forced.

Corpus desk

Index EN-compelled · compelled · English

compelled · rank #10,829 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,829
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Clyde

Nearest frequency peer: Clyde (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “compelled”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “compelled” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

compelled vs competed
78% similar
compelled vs complied
78% similar

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

Key facts for compelled
PropertyValue
Headwordcompelled
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kəmˈpɛld/
Letters9
Frequency rank#10,829
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “compelled”

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).compelledlands 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 “Clyde” (#10,828), “concealed” (#10,830), “clicks” (#10,827). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “compelled” is #10,829. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around compelled (IPA /kəmˈpɛld/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,829 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Driven; forced.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for compelled, with forms such as "ccompelled", "cmopelled", and "comeplled". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "competed", "complied", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is compelled, spelled C-O-M-P-E-L-L-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Driven; forced.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I do believe state policymakers are very compelled to address those early years.
  2. I was very compelled by the experience of watching Hamlet and the opening scene that has the ghost of his father on the parapet saying, “Revenge my death.”

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompelled
  • cmopelled
  • comeplled
  • commpelled
  • compeled
  • compeleld
  • compellde
  • compelledd
  • compleled
  • comppelled
  • copmelled
  • ocmpelled

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompelled1cmopelled2comeplled2commpelled1compeled1compeleld2compellde2compelledd1
Edit distance from "compelled"

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 "compelled"?
"compelled" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-L-L-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpɛld/.
What does "compelled" mean?
As an adjective, "compelled" means: Driven; forced.
What words are commonly confused with "compelled"?
"compelled" is commonly confused with "competed", "complied". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "compelled"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compelled" is /kəmˈpɛld/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "compelled" come from?
"compelled" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 "compelled", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list