confess

/kənˈfɛs/

//kənˈfɛs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“confess” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,306 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,306
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

confess vs contest
71% similar
confess vs confuse
71% similar
confess vs conveys
71% similar

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

Key facts for confess
PropertyValue
Headwordconfess
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈfɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,306
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “confess” 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). confess 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 confess is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈfɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,306 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 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for confess, with forms such as "cconfess", "cnofess", and "cofness". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "contest", "confuse", "conveys", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“I confess, I admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to conf… The correct English form is confess, spelled C-O-N-F-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
  2. 2
    To acknowledge faith in; to profess belief in.
  3. 3
    To unburden (oneself) of sins to God or a priest, in order to receive absolution.
  4. 4
    To hear or receive such a confession of sins from.
  5. 5
    To disclose or reveal.
  6. 6
    To profess one's love.

Etymology

From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“I confess, I admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten (“to confess, admit”) (from Old English andettan). Doublet of confiteor. Sense 6 is a calque of 告白 (kokuhaku).

Synonyms

acknowledgeadmitassentavowbeknowcome cleanconcedeconfessfessfess upfront upmake a clean breastownown upshrivesingspill one's gutsspill the beansstep forwardtalktell allunbosom

Antonyms

abjuredenydisavowdisclaimdisownreject

This word in other languages

confesar(Español)avouer(Français)gestehen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconfess,cnofess,cofness,conefss,confes,conffess,confses,connfess,ocnfess

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconfess1cnofess2cofness2conefss2confes1conffess1confses2connfess1
Edit distance from "confess"

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 "confess"?
"confess" is spelled C-O-N-F-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈfɛs/.
What does "confess" mean?
As a verb, "confess" means: To admit to the truth, particularly in the context of sins or crimes committed.
What words are commonly confused with "confess"?
"confess" is commonly confused with "contest", "confuse", "conveys". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "confess"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confess" is /kənˈfɛs/. 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 "confess"?
From Middle English confessen, from Anglo-Norman confesser, from Old French confesser, from Latin confessus (Old French confés), past participle of cōnfiteor (“I confess, I admit”) from con- + fateor (“to admit”). Displaced Middle English andetten... 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 “confess”

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

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