compels

/kəmˈpɛlz/

//kəmˈpɛlz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“compels” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,925. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,925
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - third-person singular simple present indicative of compel

Corpus desk

Index EN-compels · compels · English

compels · rank #31,925 · 11 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,925
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH commie

Nearest frequency peer: commie (-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 “compels”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “compels” 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).

compels vs comply
71% similar
compels vs compete
71% similar
compels vs compile
71% similar

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

Key facts for compels
PropertyValue
Headwordcompels
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kəmˈpɛlz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,925
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “compels”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).compelslands 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 “commie” (#31,924), “combatant” (#31,923), “concealer” (#31,927). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “compels” is #31,925. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around compels (IPA /kəmˈpɛlz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #31,925 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "third-person singular simple present indicative of compel".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for compels, with forms such as "ccompels", "cmopels", and "comepls". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "comply", "compete", "compile", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is compels, spelled C-O-M-P-E-L-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    third-person singular simple present indicative of compel

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompels
  • cmopels
  • comepls
  • commpels
  • compells
  • compelss
  • compesl
  • comples
  • comppels
  • copmels
  • ocmpels

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccompels1cmopels2comepls2commpels1compells1compelss1compesl2comples2
Edit distance from "compels"

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 "compels"?
"compels" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-L-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpɛlz/.
What does "compels" mean?
As a verb, "compels" means: third-person singular simple present indicative of compel
What words are commonly confused with "compels"?
"compels" is commonly confused with "comply", "compete", "compile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "compels"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compels" is /kəmˈpɛlz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "compels" come from?
"compels" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "compels", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

confine#31,931clarion#31,918clapper#31,917copycat#31,936

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

cursory11 variantscasings11 variantsfantasia11 variantsayatollah11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list