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” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,948. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,948
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-consul · consul · English

consul · rank #12,948 · 9 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,948
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH condom

Nearest frequency peer: condom (-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 “consul”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “consul” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “consul”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).consullands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “condom” (#12,947), “contender” (#12,949), “communion” (#12,946). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “consul” is #12,948. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around consul (IPA /ˈkɒn.səl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,948 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Both we will raigne as Conſuls of the earth, And mightie kings ſhall be our Senators.
  2. And many of the Conſuls, rais'd and met, Are at the Dukes already.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "consul", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

condom#12,947crypto#12,951climax#12,941dexter#12,957

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

extras9 variantsBenson9 variantshereby9 variantsallergy9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list