competent

/ˈkɒmpətənt/

//ˈkɒmpətənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“competent” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,018. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,018
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.

Corpus desk

Index EN-competent · competent · English

competent · rank #8,018 · 14 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,018
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coloured

Nearest frequency peer: coloured (-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 “competent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “competent” 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).

competent vs competes
78% similar
competent vs component
78% similar
competent vs competing
78% similar

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

Key facts for competent
PropertyValue
Headwordcompetent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɒmpətənt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,018
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “competent” 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).competent lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around competent (IPA /ˈkɒmpətənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,018 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for competent, with forms such as "ccompetent", "cmopetent", and "comeptent". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "competes", "component", "competing", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English competent, conpetent, from Old French competent (modern French compétent), from Latin competens, competentem, present participle of competō (“coincide, be equal to, be capable of”). Compare Dutch competent (“competent”), German kompetent… The correct English form is competent, spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.
  2. 2
    Having jurisdiction or authority over a particular issue or question.
  3. 3
    Adequate for the purpose.
  4. 4
    Functionally in order; functioning adequately.
  5. 5
    Permeable to foreign DNA.
  6. 6
    Resistant to deformation or flow.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He is a competent skier and an expert snowboarder.
  2. I believe in that myself because it has been explained by competent men as the convolutions of the grey matter.

Etymology

From Middle English competent, conpetent, from Old French competent (modern French compétent), from Latin competens, competentem, present participle of competō (“coincide, be equal to, be capable of”). Compare Dutch competent (“competent”), German kompetent (“competent”), Danish kompetent (“competent”).

Antonyms

incompetent

This word in other languages

competente(Español)compétent(Français)kompetent(Deutsch)competente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompetent
  • cmopetent
  • comeptent
  • commpetent
  • compeetnt
  • competennt
  • competentt
  • competetn
  • competnet
  • compettent
  • comppetent
  • compteent
  • copmetent
  • ocmpetent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of competent - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccompetent1cmopetent2comeptent2commpetent1compeetnt2competennt1competentt1competetn2
Edit distance from "competent"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "competent"?
"competent" is spelled C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒmpətənt/.
What does "competent" mean?
As an adjective, "competent" means: Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.
What words are commonly confused with "competent"?
"competent" is commonly confused with "competes", "component", "competing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "competent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "competent" is /ˈkɒmpətənt/. 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 "competent"?
From Middle English competent, conpetent, from Old French competent (modern French compétent), from Latin competens, competentem, present participle of competō (“coincide, be equal to, be capable of”). Compare Dutch competent (“competent”), German... 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 "competent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

affection#8,003excluding#8,034Venezuela#7,996gratitude#8,041

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

beautifully14 variantsforgetting14 variantstranslate14 variantsinequality14 variants

What to do next

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

  • "competent" maps to 9 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "competes". View pair
  • 14 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,018 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