compound

/ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/

//ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd// noun

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

"compound" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“compound” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,311. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,311
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.

Corpus desk

Index EN-compound · compound · English

compound · rank #5,311 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,311
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH collecting

Nearest frequency peer: collecting (-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 “compound”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “compound” 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).

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
PropertyValue
Headwordcompound
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,311
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “compound”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).compoundlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “collecting” (#5,310), “conscious” (#5,312), “collapse” (#5,309). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “compound” is #5,311. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around compound (IPA /ˈkɒmˈpaʊnd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,311 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A total of 75 cycle spaces are being installed at three Greater Anglia stations - [...]. And a secure compound for bicycles is being built at Cambridge North.
  2. Shepard: What kind of proof do you have that the major is dangerous? Transmission: Three days ago, we sent two Alliance representatives to meet with him at his compound. They have disappeared. We believe Kyle and his followers killed them. Transmission: That compound is a cult, Shepard. They call him 'Father Kyle' now. He's set himself up as some kind of…

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.

ccompound1cmopound2commpound1comopund2componud2compoudn2compoundd1compounnd1
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "compound", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

collapse#5,309contents#5,314floating#5,326basement#5,294

Similar misspelling depth

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

balanced12 variantsadvisory12 variantsaccessible12 variantsaccepting12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list