compound

Name: compound, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/

//ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“compound” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,311 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,311
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 12
tracked misspellings: 3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

compound vs confound

75% similar

compound vs compounded

80% similar

compound vs composed

75% similar

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

Key facts for compound
Property	Value
Headword	compound
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#5,311
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	3
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “compound” 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). compound lands here:

#5,311

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for compound is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,311 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for compound, with forms such as "ccompound", "cmopound", and "commpound". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "confound", "compounded", "composed", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly from Malay kampong, kampung (“group of buildings, village”), via Dutch or Portuguese, altered under the influence of Etymology 2. Doublet of kampung. The correct English form is compound, spelled C-O-M-P-O-U-N-D.

Definition

1
An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.
2
An enclosure for secure storage.
3
A group of buildings situated close together, e.g. for a school or block of offices.
4
A group of buildings where members of the same extended family live together.

Etymology

Possibly from Malay kampong, kampung (“group of buildings, village”), via Dutch or Portuguese, altered under the influence of Etymology 2. Doublet of kampung.

This word in other languages

complejo(Español)complexe(Français)Komplex(Deutsch)cercado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccompound,cmopound,commpound,comopund,componud,compoudn,compoundd,compounnd,comppound,compuond,copmound,ocmpound

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "compound"

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 "compound"?

"compound" is spelled C-O-M-P-O-U-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/.

What does "compound" mean?

As a noun, "compound" means: An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.

What words are commonly confused with "compound"?

"compound" is commonly confused with "confound", "compounded", "composed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "compound"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compound" is /ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/. 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 "compound"?

Possibly from Malay kampong, kampung (“group of buildings, village”), via Dutch or Portuguese, altered under the influence of Etymology 2. Doublet of kampung. 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.

Using “compound”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-O-U-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “confound” - see the side-by-side comparison. compound vs confound
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

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.