conductor

/kənˈdʌktɚ/

//kənˈdʌktɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“conductor” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,587 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,587
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

conductor vs connector
78% similar
conductor vs conduct
78% similar
conductor vs conducted
78% similar

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

Key facts for conductor
PropertyValue
Headwordconductor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈdʌktɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,587
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “conductor” 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). conductor 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 conductor is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈdʌktɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,587 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for conductor, with forms such as "cconductor", "cnoductor", and "codnuctor". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "connector", "conduct", "conducted", 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 conductour, from Old French conduitor, from Latin conductor. The correct English form is conductor, spelled C-O-N-D-U-C-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
  2. 2
    A person who conducts an orchestra, choir or other music ensemble; a professional whose occupation is conducting.
  3. 3
    A person who takes tickets on public transportation and also helps passengers.
  4. 4
    Something that can transmit electricity, heat, light, or sound.
  5. 5
    An ideal of a ring that measures how far it is from being integrally closed
  6. 6
    A grooved sound or staff used for directing instruments, such as lithontriptic forceps; a director.
  7. 7
    A leader.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French conductour, from Old French conduitor, from Latin conductor.

This word in other languages

director(Español)chef d'orchestre(Français)Dirigent(Deutsch)condutor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconductor,cnoductor,codnuctor,condcutor,condductor,conducctor,conducotr,conductorr,conductro,conducttor,condutcor,connductor,conudctor,ocnductor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconductor1cnoductor2codnuctor2condcutor2condductor1conducctor1conducotr2conductorr1
Edit distance from "conductor"

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 "conductor"?
"conductor" is spelled C-O-N-D-U-C-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈdʌktɚ/.
What does "conductor" mean?
As a noun, "conductor" means: One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
What words are commonly confused with "conductor"?
"conductor" is commonly confused with "connector", "conduct", "conducted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "conductor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "conductor" is /kənˈdʌktɚ/. 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 "conductor"?
Borrowed from Middle French conductour, from Old French conduitor, from Latin conductor. 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 “conductor”

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

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