consume

Name: consume, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/kənˈsjuːm/

//kənˈsjuːm// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“consume” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,528 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#8,528
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To use up.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

consume vs costume

71% similar

consume vs consumer

88% similar

consume vs consumed

88% similar

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

Key facts for consume
Property	Value
Headword	consume
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/kənˈsjuːm/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#8,528
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	9
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “consume” 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). consume lands here:

#8,528

#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 consume is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kənˈsjuːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,528 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for consume, with forms such as "cconsume", "cnosume", and "connsume". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "costume", "consumer", "consumed", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) + sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- + emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), possibly rela… The correct English form is consume, spelled C-O-N-S-U-M-E.

Definition

1
To use up.
2
To eat.
3
To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.
4
To destroy completely.
5
To waste away slowly.
6
To trade money for good or services as an individual.
7
To absorb information, especially through the mass media.

Etymology

From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) + sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- + emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), possibly related to the root *nem- (“to take or give one's due”).

Synonyms

burn use use up expend devour eat swallow occupy overcome take over annihilate destroy devastate eliminate obliterate raze wipe out

This word in other languages

consumir(Español)consommer(Français)verbrauchen(Deutsch)consumir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cconsume,cnosume,connsume,consmue,conssume,consuem,consumme,conusme,cosnume,ocnsume

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of consume - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "consume"

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 "consume"?

"consume" is spelled C-O-N-S-U-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈsjuːm/.

What does "consume" mean?

As a verb, "consume" means: To use up.

What words are commonly confused with "consume"?

"consume" is commonly confused with "costume", "consumer", "consumed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "consume"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "consume" is /kənˈsjuːm/. 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 "consume"?

From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) + sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- + emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), pos... 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 “consume”

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

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