conspicuous

/kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/

//kənˈspɪk.ju.əs// adj

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

"conspicuous" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“conspicuous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,277 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,277
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Obvious or easy to notice.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

conspicuous vs conspicuously
85% similar

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

Key facts for conspicuous
PropertyValue
Headwordconspicuous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#18,277
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “conspicuous” 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). conspicuous 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 conspicuous is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,277 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for conspicuous, with forms such as "cconspicuous", "cnospicuous", and "connspicuous". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "conspicuously", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin conspicuus (“visible, striking”), from cōnspicere (“to notice”), from con- (“with, together”) + specere (“to look at”). The correct English form is conspicuous, spelled C-O-N-S-P-I-C-U-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Obvious or easy to notice.
  2. 2
    Noticeable or attracting attention, especially if unattractive.

Etymology

From Latin conspicuus (“visible, striking”), from cōnspicere (“to notice”), from con- (“with, together”) + specere (“to look at”).

Synonyms

attention-grabbingconspicuouseye-catchingflashyglossygrabbyprominent

Antonyms

improminentinconspicuousinobtrusiveunconspicuousunobtrusive

This word in other languages

conspicuo(Español)visible(Français)auffällig(Deutsch)conspícuo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconspicuous,cnospicuous,connspicuous,conpsicuous,consipcuous,conspciuous,conspiccuous,conspicouus,conspicuosu,conspicuouss,conspicuuos,conspiucous,consppicuous,consspicuous,cosnpicuous,ocnspicuous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconspicuous1cnospicuous2connspicuous1conpsicuous2consipcuous2conspciuous2conspiccuous1conspicouus2
Edit distance from "conspicuous"

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 "conspicuous"?
"conspicuous" is spelled C-O-N-S-P-I-C-U-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/.
What does "conspicuous" mean?
As an adjective, "conspicuous" means: Obvious or easy to notice.
What words are commonly confused with "conspicuous"?
"conspicuous" is commonly confused with "conspicuously". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "conspicuous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "conspicuous" is /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/. 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 "conspicuous"?
From Latin conspicuus (“visible, striking”), from cōnspicere (“to notice”), from con- (“with, together”) + specere (“to look at”). 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 “conspicuous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-S-P-I-C-U-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kənˈspɪk.ju.əs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “conspicuously” - see the side-by-side comparison. conspicuous vs conspicuously
  • 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