compulsory

/kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/

//kəmˈpʌlsəɹi// adj

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

"compulsory" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“compulsory” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,184. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,184
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Required; obligatory; mandatory.

Corpus desk

Index EN-compulsory · compulsory · English

compulsory · rank #11,184 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,184
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH comprehend

Nearest frequency peer: comprehend (-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 “compulsory”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “compulsory” 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
Key facts for compulsory
PropertyValue
Headwordcompulsory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#11,184
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “compulsory”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).compulsorylands 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 “comprehend” (#11,183), “confederate” (#11,185), “cinnamon” (#11,182). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “compulsory” is #11,184. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around compulsory (IPA /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,184 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for compulsory, with forms such as "ccompulsory", "cmopulsory", and "commpulsory". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ. The correct English form is compulsory, spelled C-O-M-P-U-L-S-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Required; obligatory; mandatory.
  2. 2
    Having the power of compulsion; constraining.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The ten-dollar fee was compulsory.
  2. They are entirely private concerns, established by individual teachers, and attendance upon them is no more compulsory than attendance on our dispensaries.

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ.

Synonyms

mandatorybindingcompulsatorycompulsorydecretoryforcedimperativeinvoluntarynonoptionalobligatoryrequiredunbewisedunvoluntary

Antonyms

optionalvoluntary

This word in other languages

obligatorio(Español)obligatoire(Français)obligatorisch(Deutsch)obrigatório(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccompulsory
  • cmopulsory
  • commpulsory
  • complusory
  • comppulsory
  • compullsory
  • compulosry
  • compulsorry
  • compulsoryy
  • compulsoyr
  • compulsroy
  • compulssory
  • compuslory
  • comuplsory
  • copmulsory
  • ocmpulsory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of compulsory - 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.

ccompulsory1cmopulsory2commpulsory1complusory2comppulsory1compullsory1compulosry2compulsorry1
Edit distance from "compulsory"

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 "compulsory"?
"compulsory" is spelled C-O-M-P-U-L-S-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/.
What does "compulsory" mean?
As an adjective, "compulsory" means: Required; obligatory; mandatory.
What are common misspellings of "compulsory"?
Common misspellings include "ccompulsory", "cmopulsory", "commpulsory", "complusory", "comppulsory". The correct spelling is "compulsory".
How do you pronounce "compulsory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "compulsory" is /kəmˈpʌlsəɹi/. 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 "compulsory"?
Borrowed from Late Latin compulsorius, from Latin compulsus. Displaced native Old English ġenīedelīċ. 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 "compulsory", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

comprehend#11,183domination#11,202apprentice#11,164indictment#11,236

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

confederate16 variantsspontaneous16 variantsPetersburg16 variantsrespectful16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list