cop

/kɒp/

//kɒp// verb

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

"cop" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cop” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,804 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,804
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - to capture or arrest someone

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cop vs CT
0% similar
cop vs CR
0% similar
cop vs cs
33% similar

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

Key facts for cop
PropertyValue
Headwordcop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kɒp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#3,804
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cop” 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). cop 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 cop is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kɒp/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,804 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

cop has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CT", "CR", "cs", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English *coppen, *copen, from Old English copian (“to plunder; pillage; steal”); or possibly from Middle French caper (“to capture”), from Latin capiō (“to seize, grasp”); or possibly from Dutch kapen (“to seize, hijack”), fro… The correct English form is cop, spelled C-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    to capture or arrest someone
  2. 2
    To obtain, to purchase (items including but not limited to drugs), to get hold of, to take.
  3. 3
    To (be forced to) take; to receive; to shoulder; to bear, especially blame or punishment for a particular instance of wrongdoing.
  4. 4
    To see and record a railway locomotive for the first time.
  5. 5
    To steal.
  6. 6
    To adopt.
  7. 7
    To admit, especially to a crime or wrongdoing.
  8. 8
    To recruit a prostitute into the stable.
  9. 9
    To take (a look, glance, etc.).

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English *coppen, *copen, from Old English copian (“to plunder; pillage; steal”); or possibly from Middle French caper (“to capture”), from Latin capiō (“to seize, grasp”); or possibly from Dutch kapen (“to seize, hijack”), from Old Frisian kāpia (“to buy”), whence West Frisian keapje, Saterland Frisian koopje, North Frisian koopi, kuupe. Compare also Middle English copen (“to buy”), from Middle Dutch copen.

This word in other languages

erlangen(Deutsch)

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 "cop"?
"cop" is spelled C-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /kɒp/.
What does "cop" mean?
As a verb, "cop" means: to capture or arrest someone
What words are commonly confused with "cop"?
"cop" is commonly confused with "CT", "CR", "cs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cop" is /kɒp/. 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 "cop"?
Uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English *coppen, *copen, from Old English copian (“to plunder; pillage; steal”); or possibly from Middle French caper (“to capture”), from Latin capiō (“to seize, grasp”); or possibly from Dutch kapen (“to seize, hij... 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 “cop”

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

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