conquer

/ˈkɒŋkə/

//ˈkɒŋkə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“conquer” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,021 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,021
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To defeat in combat; to subjugate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

conquer vs consumer
75% similar
conquer vs conquest
75% similar
conquer vs conquered
78% similar

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

Key facts for conquer
PropertyValue
Headwordconquer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒŋkə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,021
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “conquer” 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). conquer 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 conquer is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒŋkə/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,021 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for conquer, with forms such as "cconquer", "cnoquer", and "connquer". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "consumer", "conquest", "conquered", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, from Late Latin conquaerere (“to knock, strike; to search for, procure”), from Latin con- + quaerere (“to seek, acquire”). Displaced native Old English oferwinnan. The correct English form is conquer, spelled C-O-N-Q-U-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To defeat in combat; to subjugate.
  2. 2
    To acquire by force of arms, win in war; to become ruler of; to subjugate.
  3. 3
    To overcome an abstract obstacle.
  4. 4
    To gain, win, or obtain by effort.

Etymology

From Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, from Late Latin conquaerere (“to knock, strike; to search for, procure”), from Latin con- + quaerere (“to seek, acquire”). Displaced native Old English oferwinnan.

This word in other languages

conquistar(Español)conquérir(Français)erobern(Deutsch)conquistar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconquer,cnoquer,connquer,conqeur,conqquer,conquerr,conqure,conuqer,coqnuer,ocnquer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconquer1cnoquer2connquer1conqeur2conqquer1conquerr1conqure2conuqer2
Edit distance from "conquer"

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 "conquer"?
"conquer" is spelled C-O-N-Q-U-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒŋkə/.
What does "conquer" mean?
As a verb, "conquer" means: To defeat in combat; to subjugate.
What words are commonly confused with "conquer"?
"conquer" is commonly confused with "consumer", "conquest", "conquered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "conquer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "conquer" is /ˈkɒŋkə/. 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 "conquer"?
From Middle English conqueren, from Old French conquerre, from Late Latin conquaerere (“to knock, strike; to search for, procure”), from Latin con- + quaerere (“to seek, acquire”). Displaced native Old English oferwinnan. 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 “conquer”

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

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