compromise
/ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/
"compromise" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“compromise” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,587 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #5,587
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | compromise |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #5,587 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “compromise” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for compromise is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,587 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for compromise, with forms such as "ccompromise", "cmopromise", and "commpromise". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "compromised", "comprise", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French compromis, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin compromissum (“a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration”), prop. neuter of Latin compromissus, past participle of compromittere (“to make a mutual promise to abide by the… The correct English form is compromise, spelled C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E.
Definition
- 1The settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions.
- 2A committal to something derogatory or objectionable; a prejudicial concession; a surrender.
- 3A breach of a computer or network's rules such that an unauthorized disclosure or loss of sensitive information may have occurred, or the unauthorized disclosure or loss itself.
Etymology
From Middle French compromis, from Medieval Latin, Late Latin compromissum (“a compromise, originally a mutual promise to refer to arbitration”), prop. neuter of Latin compromissus, past participle of compromittere (“to make a mutual promise to abide by the decision of an arbiter”), from com- (“together”) + promittere (“to promise”); see promise.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccompromise,cmopromise,commpromise,compormise,comppromise,comprmoise,comproimse,compromies,compromisse,comprommise,compromsie,comprromise,comrpomise,copmromise,ocmpromise
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of compromise - 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.
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 "compromise"?
What does "compromise" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "compromise"?
How do you pronounce "compromise"?
What is the origin of the word "compromise"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “compromise”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɒmpɹəˌmaɪz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “compromised” - see the side-by-side comparison. compromise vs compromised
- 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.