concern

/kənˈsɝn/

//kənˈsɝn// noun

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

"concern" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“concern” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,195 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,195
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

concern vs confer
71% similar
concern vs concur
71% similar
concern vs concert
86% similar

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

Key facts for concern
PropertyValue
Headwordconcern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈsɝn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,195
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “concern” 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). concern lands here:

#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 concern is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈsɝn/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,195 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for concern, with forms such as "cconcern", "cnocern", and "cocnern". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "confer", "concur", "concert", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernō, concernere (“I distinguish, have respect to”), from Latin concernō (“to mix, sift, or mingle together, as in a sieve”), combined form of con- + cernō (“distinguish”). The correct English form is concern, spelled C-O-N-C-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone.
  2. 2
    The placement of interest or worry on a subject.
  3. 3
    A worry; a sense that something may be wrong; an identification of a possible problem.
  4. 4
    The expression of solicitude, anxiety, or compassion toward a thing or person.
  5. 5
    A business, firm or enterprise; a company.
  6. 6
    Any set of information that affects the code of a computer program.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernō, concernere (“I distinguish, have respect to”), from Latin concernō (“to mix, sift, or mingle together, as in a sieve”), combined form of con- + cernō (“distinguish”).

This word in other languages

interés(Español)inquiétude(Français)Sorge(Deutsch)preocupação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconcern,cnocern,cocnern,conccern,concenr,concernn,concerrn,concren,conecrn,conncern,ocncern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconcern1cnocern2cocnern2conccern1concenr2concernn1concerrn1concren2
Edit distance from "concern"

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 "concern"?
"concern" is spelled C-O-N-C-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈsɝn/.
What does "concern" mean?
As a noun, "concern" means: That which affects one’s welfare or happiness. A matter of interest to someone.
What words are commonly confused with "concern"?
"concern" is commonly confused with "confer", "concur", "concert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "concern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "concern" is /kənˈsɝn/. 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 "concern"?
Borrowed from Middle French concerner, from Medieval Latin concernō, concernere (“I distinguish, have respect to”), from Latin concernō (“to mix, sift, or mingle together, as in a sieve”), combined form of con- + cernō (“distinguish”). 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 “concern”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-C-E-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kənˈsɝn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “confer” - see the side-by-side comparison. concern vs confer
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list