cost

/ˈkɒst/

//ˈkɒst// verb

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

"cost" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cost” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #568 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#568
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To incur a charge of; to require payment of a (specified) price.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cost vs CT
0% similar
cost vs cs
50% similar
cost vs cut
50% similar

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

Key facts for cost
PropertyValue
Headwordcost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɒst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#568
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cost” 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). cost 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 cost is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɒst/. Corpus data places it at rank #568 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for cost, with forms such as "ccost", "cosst", and "costt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CT", "cs", "cut", 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 costen, from Old French coster, couster (“to cost”), from Medieval Latin cōstō, from Latin cōnstō (“stand together”). The correct English form is cost, spelled C-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To incur a charge of; to require payment of a (specified) price.
  2. 2
    To cause something to be lost; to cause the expenditure or relinquishment of.
  3. 3
    To require to be borne or suffered; to cause.
  4. 4
    To calculate or estimate a price.
  5. 5
    To cost (a person) a great deal of money or suffering.

Etymology

From Middle English costen, from Old French coster, couster (“to cost”), from Medieval Latin cōstō, from Latin cōnstō (“stand together”).

This word in other languages

costar(Español)coûter(Français)kosten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccost,cosst,costt,cots,csot,ocst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cost - 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.

ccost1cosst1costt1cots2csot2ocst2
Edit distance from "cost"

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 "cost"?
"cost" is spelled C-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒst/.
What does "cost" mean?
As a verb, "cost" means: To incur a charge of; to require payment of a (specified) price.
What words are commonly confused with "cost"?
"cost" is commonly confused with "CT", "cs", "cut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cost" is /ˈkɒst/. 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 "cost"?
From Middle English costen, from Old French coster, couster (“to cost”), from Medieval Latin cōstō, from Latin cōnstō (“stand together”). 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 “cost”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɒst/ (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. cost 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