consensus

/kənˈsɛnsəs/

//kənˈsɛnsəs// noun

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

"consensus" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“consensus” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,039. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,039
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.

Corpus desk

Index EN-consensus · consensus · English

consensus · rank #6,039 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,039
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cycling

Nearest frequency peer: cycling (+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 “consensus”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “consensus” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

consensus vs consensual
80% similar

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

Key facts for consensus
PropertyValue
Headwordconsensus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kənˈsɛnsəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,039
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “consensus”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).consensuslands 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 “cycling” (#6,040), “cliff” (#6,037), “declaration” (#6,041). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “consensus” is #6,039. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around consensus (IPA /kənˈsɛnsəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,039 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for consensus, with forms such as "cconsensus", "cnosensus", and "conesnsus". 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, "consensual", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin cōnsēnsus (“agreement, accordance, unanimity”), from cōnsentiō (“feel together; agree”); see consent. The correct English form is consensus, spelled C-O-N-S-E-N-S-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.
  2. 2
    General agreement among the members of a given group or community, each member of which exercises some discretion in decision-making and follow-up action.
  3. 3
    An agreement on some data value that is needed during computation.
  4. 4
    Average projected value.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. reach consensus
  2. After years of debate over the best wine to serve at Thanksgiving, no real consensus has emerged.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cōnsēnsus (“agreement, accordance, unanimity”), from cōnsentiō (“feel together; agree”); see consent.

Antonyms

dissensus

This word in other languages

consenso(Español)consensus(Français)Konsens(Deutsch)consenso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cconsensus
  • cnosensus
  • conesnsus
  • connsensus
  • consennsus
  • consenssu
  • consenssus
  • consensuss
  • consenuss
  • consesnus
  • consnesus
  • conssensus
  • cosnensus
  • ocnsensus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of consensus - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cconsensus1cnosensus2conesnsus2connsensus1consennsus1consenssu2consenssus1consensuss1
Edit distance from "consensus"

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 "consensus"?
"consensus" is spelled C-O-N-S-E-N-S-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈsɛnsəs/.
What does "consensus" mean?
As a noun, "consensus" means: A process of decision-making that seeks widespread agreement among group members.
What words are commonly confused with "consensus"?
"consensus" is commonly confused with "consensual". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "consensus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consensus" is /kənˈsɛnsəs/. 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 "consensus"?
Borrowed from Latin cōnsēnsus (“agreement, accordance, unanimity”), from cōnsentiō (“feel together; agree”); see consent. 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 "consensus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

civilians#6,036donations#6,045breakdown#6,028genuinely#6,054

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

respected14 variantsnutrition14 variantspromising14 variantsseemingly14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list