continue

/kənˈtɪn.juː/

//kənˈtɪn.juː// verb

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

"continue" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“continue” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #865. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#865
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To proceed with (doing an activity); to prolong (an activity).

Corpus desk

Index EN-continue · continue · English

continue · rank #865 · 11 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #865
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH considered

Nearest frequency peer: considered (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “continue”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “continue” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

continue vs convince
75% similar
continue vs continued
89% similar
continue vs continues
89% similar

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

Key facts for continue
PropertyValue
Headwordcontinue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kənˈtɪn.juː/
Letters8
Frequency rank#865
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “continue” 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). continue lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around continue (IPA /kənˈtɪn.juː/), averb. Corpus frequency is #865 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for continue, with forms such as "ccontinue", "cnotinue", and "conitnue". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "convince", "continued", "continues", 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 continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre. Displaced native Middle English thurghwonen, from Old English þurhwunian. The correct English form is continue, spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To proceed with (doing an activity); to prolong (an activity).
  2. 2
    To make last; to prolong.
  3. 3
    To retain (someone or something) in a given state, position, etc.
  4. 4
    To remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
  5. 5
    To resume.
  6. 6
    To adjourn, prorogue, put off.
  7. 7
    To make a continuation bet.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Shall I continue speaking, or will you just interrupt me again?
  2. Do you want me to continue to unload these?

Etymology

From Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre. Displaced native Middle English thurghwonen, from Old English þurhwunian.

Synonyms

carry oncrack ongo on withkeepkeep onkeep upproceed withsustainretaincarry ongo onproceedresume

Antonyms

terminatestopdiscontinue

This word in other languages

continuar(Español)continuer(Français)fortsetzen(Deutsch)continuar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccontinue
  • cnotinue
  • conitnue
  • conntinue
  • contineu
  • continnue
  • contiune
  • contniue
  • conttinue
  • cotninue
  • ocntinue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of continue - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ccontinue1cnotinue2conitnue2conntinue1contineu2continnue1contiune2contniue2
Edit distance from "continue"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "continue"?
"continue" is spelled C-O-N-T-I-N-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kənˈtɪn.juː/.
What does "continue" mean?
As a verb, "continue" means: To proceed with (doing an activity); to prolong (an activity).
What words are commonly confused with "continue"?
"continue" is commonly confused with "convince", "continued", "continues". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "continue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "continue" is /kənˈtɪn.juː/. 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 "continue"?
From Middle English continuen, from Old French continuer, from Latin continuāre. Displaced native Middle English thurghwonen, from Old English þurhwunian. 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 "continue", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

election#870European#871increase#877decision#847

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

perhaps11 variantschanged11 variantslanguage11 variantseconomic11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "continue". Here's where to go from here.

  • "continue" maps to 6 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "convince". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #865 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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