condemn

/kənˈdɛm/

//kənˈdɛm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“condemn” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,831. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,831
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-condemn · condemn · English

condemn · rank #10,831 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,831
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH concealed

Nearest frequency peer: concealed (-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 “condemn”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “condemn” 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).

condemn vs condom
71% similar
condemn vs Condon
57% similar
condemn vs condemned
78% similar

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

Key facts for condemn
PropertyValue
Headwordcondemn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈdɛm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,831
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “condemn”

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).condemnlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “concealed” (#10,830), “confrontation” (#10,832), “compelled” (#10,829). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “condemn” is #10,831. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around condemn (IPA /kənˈdɛm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #10,831 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for condemn, with forms such as "ccondemn", "cnodemn", and "codnemn". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "condom", "Condon", "condemned", and more, 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 condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old Englis… The correct English form is condemn, spelled C-O-N-D-E-M-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.
  2. 2
    To judicially pronounce (someone) guilty.
  3. 3
    To judicially announce a verdict upon a finding of guilt; To sentence
  4. 4
    To confer eternal divine punishment upon.
  5. 5
    To destine to experience bad circumstances; to doom.
  6. 6
    To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
  7. 7
    To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
  8. 8
    To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
  9. 9
    To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
  10. 10
    To declare something to be unfit for use, or further use.
  11. 11
    To determine and declare (property) to be assigned to public use. See eminent domain.
  12. 12
    To declare (a vessel) to be forfeited to the government or to be a prize.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The president condemned the terrorists.
  2. Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.

Etymology

From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from Old English fordeman (“condemn, sentence, doom”) > Modern English fordeem.

This word in other languages

condenar(Español)condamner(Français)verurteilen(Deutsch)condenar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccondemn
  • cnodemn
  • codnemn
  • conddemn
  • condemmn
  • condemnn
  • condenm
  • condmen
  • conedmn
  • conndemn
  • ocndemn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccondemn1cnodemn2codnemn2conddemn1condemmn1condemnn1condenm2condmen2
Edit distance from "condemn"

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 "condemn"?
"condemn" is spelled C-O-N-D-E-M-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈdɛm/.
What does "condemn" mean?
As a verb, "condemn" means: To strongly criticise or denounce; to excoriate.
What words are commonly confused with "condemn"?
"condemn" is commonly confused with "condom", "Condon", "condemned". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "condemn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "condemn" is /kənˈdɛm/. 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 "condemn"?
From Middle English condempnen, from Old French condamner, from Latin condemnāre (“to sentence, condemn, blame”), from com- + damnāre (“to harm, condemn, damn”), from damnum (“damage, injury, loss”). Displaced native Middle English fordemen (from ... 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 "condemn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

caption#10,822empathy#10,844arising#10,810apparel#10,808

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

disguise11 variantsWindsor11 variantsweakened11 variantswarranty11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list