constraint
/kənˈstɹeɪnt/
"constraint" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“constraint” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,072 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #20,072
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something that constrains; a restriction.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | constraint |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #20,072 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “constraint” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for constraint is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈstɹeɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,072 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 constraint, with forms such as "cconstraint", "cnostraint", and "connstraint". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "constraints", "constant", "constrain", 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 constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus). The correct English form is constraint, spelled C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N-T.
Definition
- 1Something that constrains; a restriction.
- 2An irresistible force or compulsion.
- 3The repression of one's feelings.
- 4A condition that a solution to an optimization problem must satisfy.
- 5A linkage or other restriction that maintains database integrity.
Etymology
From Middle English constreynt, constreynte, from Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre (“to constrain”), from Latin cōnstringō (corresponding to the past participle cōnstrictus).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: cconstraint,cnostraint,connstraint,consrtaint,consstraint,constarint,constrainnt,constraintt,constraitn,constranit,constriant,constrraint,consttraint,contsraint,cosntraint,ocnstraint
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of constraint - 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.
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 "constraint"?
What does "constraint" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “constraint”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-N-S-T-R-A-I-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /kənˈstɹeɪnt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “constraints” - see the side-by-side comparison. constraint vs constraints
- 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.