# confess

> English word · Verb · IPA /kənˈfɛs/ · frequency rank #9,306

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

## Easily confused with
- **contest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-contest)
- **confuse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-confuse)
- **conveys** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-conveys)
- **Conyers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-conyers)
- **congress** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-congress)
- **countess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-countess)
- **confessed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-confessed)
- **confesses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-confesses)
- **confessor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confess-vs-confessor)
- **Cones** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cones-vs-confess)
- **confer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/confer-vs-confess)

## Common misspellings (9)
`cconfess`, `cnofess`, `cofness`, `conefss`, `confes`, `conffess`, `confses`, `connfess`, `ocnfess`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/confess