consul

/ˈkɒn.səl/

//ˈkɒn.səl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“consul” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,948 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,948
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Either of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

consul vs counsel
71% similar
consul vs consume
71% similar
consul vs consult
86% similar

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

Key facts for consul
PropertyValue
Headwordconsul
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒn.səl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,948
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “consul” 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). consul 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 consul is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒn.səl/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,948 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for consul, with forms such as "cconsul", "cnosul", and "connsul". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "counsel", "consume", "consult", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English consul, from Old English consul, from Latin cōnsul. The correct English form is consul, spelled C-O-N-S-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
  2. 2
    Any of the three heads of government and state of France between 1799 and 1804.
  3. 3
    A count or earl.
  4. 4
    A councillor
  5. 5
    A councillor
  6. 6
    A councillor
  7. 7
    An official residing in major foreign towns to represent and protect the interests of the merchants and citizens of their country.
  8. 8
    A high government official, generally either a coruler himself or a counsellor directly under the ruler.

Etymology

From Middle English consul, from Old English consul, from Latin cōnsul.

Synonyms

countcouncillorearly modern councilmen of southern France and Cataloniacounsellor

This word in other languages

cónsul(Español)consul(Français)Konsul(Deutsch)cônsul(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconsul,cnosul,connsul,conslu,conssul,consull,conusl,cosnul,ocnsul

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cconsul1cnosul2connsul1conslu2conssul1consull1conusl2cosnul2
Edit distance from "consul"

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 "consul"?
"consul" is spelled C-O-N-S-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒn.səl/.
What does "consul" mean?
As a noun, "consul" means: Either of the two heads of government and state of the Roman Republic or the equivalent nominal post under the Roman and Byzantine Empires.
What words are commonly confused with "consul"?
"consul" is commonly confused with "counsel", "consume", "consult". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "consul"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consul" is /ˈkɒn.səl/. 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 "consul"?
From Middle English consul, from Old English consul, from Latin cōnsul. 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 “consul”

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

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