congee

/ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/

//ˈkɑnd͡ʒi// noun

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

"congee" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“congee” is uncommon English (frequency #90,308 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,308
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly)

Corpus desk

Index EN-congee · congee · English

congee · rank #90,308 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,308
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 43,570
  • PHOTO-FINISH concho

Nearest frequency peer: concho (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “congee”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “congee” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for congee
PropertyValue
Headwordcongee
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,308
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “congee” 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). congee lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

congee is uncommon English at frequency #90,308 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for congee in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. 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: From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“I go and come”), from con- + meō (“I go, I pass”). Figurative senses generally borrowed from develop… The correct English form is congee, spelled C-O-N-G-E-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly)
  2. 2
    Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly):
  3. 3
    Formal dismissal; (figurative) any dismissal; (originally & particularly humorously ironic) abrupt dismissal without ceremony.
  4. 4
    Formal leavetaking; (figurative) any farewell.
  5. 5
    A fee paid to make another go away, (particularly) alms to a persistent beggar.
  6. 6
    A bow, curtsey, or other gesture (originally) made at departure but (later) including at greeting or in obeissance or respect.

Etymology

From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“I go and come”), from con- + meō (“I go, I pass”). Figurative senses generally borrowed from developments in French congé.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "congee"?
"congee" is spelled C-O-N-G-E-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/.
What does "congee" mean?
As a noun, "congee" means: Leave, formal permission for some action, (originally and particularly)
How do you pronounce "congee"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "congee" is /ˈkɑnd͡ʒi/. 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 "congee"?
From late Middle English congie, from Old French congié, congiet (modern French congé), from Latin commeātus (“passage, permission to leave”), from commeō (“I go and come”), from con- + meō (“I go, I pass”). Figurative senses generally borrowed fr... 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 "congee", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

concho#90,307Colusa#90,301darter#90,337Charis#90,275
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