confidential

/ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl/

//ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl// adj

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

"confidential" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“confidential” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,265 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,265
frequency rank, English
12
letters
18
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Kept, or meant to be kept, secret within a certain circle of persons; not intended to be known publicly

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

confidential vs confidentially
86% similar

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

Key facts for confidential
PropertyValue
Headwordconfidential
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl/
Letters12
Frequency rank#8,265
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “confidential” 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). confidential 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 confidential is 12 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,265 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for confidential, with forms such as "cconfidential", "cnofidential", and "cofnidential". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "confidentially", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin confidentia + -al. The correct English form is confidential, spelled C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kept, or meant to be kept, secret within a certain circle of persons; not intended to be known publicly
  2. 2
    Inclined to share confidences; (of things) making people inclined to share confidences; involving the sharing of confidences.
  3. 3
    Having someone's confidence or trust; having a position requiring trust; worthy of being trusted with confidences.

Etymology

From Latin confidentia + -al.

This word in other languages

confidencial(Español)confidentiel(Français)vertraulich(Deutsch)confidencial(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconfidential,cnofidential,cofnidential,confdiential,conffidential,confiddential,confidenital,confidenntial,confidentail,confidentiall,confidentila,confidenttial,confidetnial,confidnetial,confiedntial,conifdential,connfidential,ocnfidential

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of confidential - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

cconfidential1cnofidential2cofnidential2confdiential2conffidential1confiddential1confidenital2confidenntial1
Edit distance from "confidential"

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 "confidential"?
"confidential" is spelled C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl/.
What does "confidential" mean?
As an adjective, "confidential" means: Kept, or meant to be kept, secret within a certain circle of persons; not intended to be known publicly
What words are commonly confused with "confidential"?
"confidential" is commonly confused with "confidentially". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "confidential"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confidential" is /ˌkɑːnfɪˈdɛnʃl/. 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 "confidential"?
From Latin confidentia + -al. 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 “confidential”

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

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