confiscate

/ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/

//ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt// verb

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

"confiscate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“confiscate” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,485. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,485
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder.

Corpus desk

Index EN-confiscate · confiscate · English

confiscate · rank #31,485 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,485
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH config

Nearest frequency peer: config (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “confiscate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “confiscate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for confiscate
PropertyValue
Headwordconfiscate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#31,485
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “confiscate”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).confiscatelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “config” (#31,484), “consecutively” (#31,486), “confidant” (#31,483). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “confiscate” is #31,485. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around confiscate (IPA /ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #31,485 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for confiscate, with forms such as "cconfiscate", "cnofiscate", and "cofniscate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cōnfiscātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin cōnfiscō (“to seize for the public treasury (fiscus)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). The correct English form is confiscate, spelled C-O-N-F-I-S-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how confiscate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. In schools, it is common for teachers to confiscate electronic games and other distractions.
  2. We doe confiscate (Towards the satisfying of your accounts) All that you haue.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cōnfiscātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin cōnfiscō (“to seize for the public treasury (fiscus)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

Synonyms

appropriatearrogatecommandeerexpropriaterequisitionusurpstealrob

This word in other languages

decomisar(Español)confisquer(Français)beschlagnahmen(Deutsch)confiscar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconfiscate
  • cnofiscate
  • cofniscate
  • conffiscate
  • conficsate
  • confisacte
  • confiscaet
  • confiscatte
  • confisccate
  • confisctae
  • confisscate
  • confsicate
  • conifscate
  • connfiscate
  • ocnfiscate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of confiscate - 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.

cconfiscate1cnofiscate2cofniscate2conffiscate1conficsate2confisacte2confiscaet2confiscatte1
Edit distance from "confiscate"

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 "confiscate"?
"confiscate" is spelled C-O-N-F-I-S-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/.
What does "confiscate" mean?
As a verb, "confiscate" means: To use one's authority to lay claim to and separate a possession from its holder.
What are common misspellings of "confiscate"?
Common misspellings include "cconfiscate", "cnofiscate", "cofniscate", "conffiscate", "conficsate". The correct spelling is "confiscate".
How do you pronounce "confiscate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "confiscate" is /ˈkɒnfɪskeɪt/. 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 "confiscate"?
Borrowed from Latin cōnfiscātus, the perfect passive participle of Latin cōnfiscō (“to seize for the public treasury (fiscus)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "confiscate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

conversing#31,488colloquial#31,480chopsticks#31,474detachable#31,506

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

disfigured15 variantsattributing15 variantsEverglades15 variantsverifiable15 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list