consume

/kənˈsjuːm/

//kənˈsjuːm// verb

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

"consume" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“consume” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,528. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,528
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To use up.

Corpus desk

Index EN-consume · consume · English

consume · rank #8,528 · 10 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,528
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH confession

Nearest frequency peer: confession (-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 “consume”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “consume” 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).

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
PropertyValue
Headwordconsume
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈsjuːm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,528
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “consume”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “confession” (#8,527), “corridor” (#8,529), “comprising” (#8,526). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “consume” is #8,528. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around consume (IPA /kənˈsjuːm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #8,528 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.
  2. Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.

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

burnuseuse upexpenddevoureatswallowoccupyovercometake overannihilatedestroydevastateeliminateobliteraterazewipe 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.

cconsume1cnosume2connsume1consmue2conssume1consuem2consumme1conusme2
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

coconut#8,524estates#8,537Ferrari#8,539blaming#8,516

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

corridor10 variantsclutch10 variantsBeatles10 variantsumbrella10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list