confirm

/kənˈfɜːm/

//kənˈfɜːm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“confirm” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,609 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,609
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

confirm vs conform
86% similar
confirm vs confirmed
78% similar
confirm vs confer
71% similar

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

Key facts for confirm
PropertyValue
Headwordconfirm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈfɜːm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,609
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “confirm” 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). confirm 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 confirm is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈfɜːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,609 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for confirm, with forms such as "cconfirm", "cnofirm", and "cofnirm". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "conform", "confirmed", "confer", 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 confirmen, confermen, from Old French confermer, from Latin cōnfirmāre (“to make firm, strengthen, establish”), from con- (“together”) + firmāre (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”). The correct English form is confirm, spelled C-O-N-F-I-R-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
  2. 2
    To administer the sacrament of confirmation on (someone).
  3. 3
    To assure the accuracy of previous statements.
  4. 4
    To approve a proposal or nomination.

Etymology

From Middle English confirmen, confermen, from Old French confermer, from Latin cōnfirmāre (“to make firm, strengthen, establish”), from con- (“together”) + firmāre (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”).

Antonyms

infirmdisconfirmdenydisputecontradictquestion

This word in other languages

confirmar(Español)confirmer(Français)bestätigen(Deutsch)firmar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconfirm,cnofirm,cofnirm,conffirm,confimr,confirmm,confirrm,confrim,conifrm,connfirm,ocnfirm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of confirm - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

cconfirm1cnofirm2cofnirm2conffirm1confimr2confirmm1confirrm1confrim2
Edit distance from "confirm"

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 "confirm"?
"confirm" is spelled C-O-N-F-I-R-M. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈfɜːm/.
What does "confirm" mean?
As a verb, "confirm" means: To strengthen; to make firm or resolute.
What words are commonly confused with "confirm"?
"confirm" is commonly confused with "conform", "confirmed", "confer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "confirm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confirm" is /kənˈfɜːm/. 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 "confirm"?
From Middle English confirmen, confermen, from Old French confermer, from Latin cōnfirmāre (“to make firm, strengthen, establish”), from con- (“together”) + firmāre (“to make firm”), from firmus (“firm”). 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 “confirm”

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

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