concubine

/ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn/

//ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn// noun

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

"concubine" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“concubine” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,085. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,085
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sexual partner, especially a woman, to whom one is not or cannot be married.

Corpus desk

Index EN-concubine · concubine · English

concubine · rank #36,085 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #36,085
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH conceit

Nearest frequency peer: conceit (-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 “concubine”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “concubine” 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).

concubine vs concubines
90% similar

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

Key facts for concubine
PropertyValue
Headwordconcubine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,085
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “concubine”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “conceit” (#36,084), “confounded” (#36,087), “conservatively” (#36,088). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “concubine” is #36,085. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around concubine (IPA /ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,085 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for concubine, with forms such as "cconcubine", "cnocubine", and "cocnubine". 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 also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "concubines", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English concubine (first attested 1250–1300), from Anglo-Norman concubine, from Latin concubīna, equivalent to concub- (variant stem of concumbō (“to lie together”)) + feminine suffix -īna. The correct English form is concubine, spelled C-O-N-C-U-B-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sexual partner, especially a woman, to whom one is not or cannot be married.
  2. 2
    A woman who lives with a man, but who is not a wife.
  3. 3
    A slave-girl or woman, kept for instance in a harem, who is held for sexual service.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And that is more than I will yield unto: / I know I am too mean to be your queen, / And yet too good to be your concubine.
  2. He ſhall be made a chaſte and luſtleſſe Eunuch, And in my Sarell tend my Concubines:

Etymology

From Middle English concubine (first attested 1250–1300), from Anglo-Norman concubine, from Latin concubīna, equivalent to concub- (variant stem of concumbō (“to lie together”)) + feminine suffix -īna.

This word in other languages

concubina(Español)concubine(Français)Konkubine(Deutsch)concubina(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconcubine
  • cnocubine
  • cocnubine
  • concbuine
  • conccubine
  • concubbine
  • concubien
  • concubinne
  • concubnie
  • concuibne
  • conncubine
  • conucbine
  • ocncubine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconcubine1cnocubine2cocnubine2concbuine2conccubine1concubbine1concubien2concubinne1
Edit distance from "concubine"

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 "concubine"?
"concubine" is spelled C-O-N-C-U-B-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn/.
What does "concubine" mean?
As a noun, "concubine" means: A sexual partner, especially a woman, to whom one is not or cannot be married.
What words are commonly confused with "concubine"?
"concubine" is commonly confused with "concubines". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "concubine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "concubine" is /ˈkɑŋkjəbaɪn/. 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 "concubine"?
From Middle English concubine (first attested 1250–1300), from Anglo-Norman concubine, from Latin concubīna, equivalent to concub- (variant stem of concumbō (“to lie together”)) + feminine suffix -īna. 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 "concubine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

constrain#36,089cognizant#36,079chlamydia#36,073butcher's#36,060

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

covertly13 variantsfantasize13 variantsforcible13 variantsfumbling13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list