couple

/ˈkʌp.əl/

//ˈkʌp.əl// noun

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

"couple" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“couple” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #651. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#651
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Two of the same kind connected or considered together.

Corpus desk

Index EN-couple · couple · English

couple · rank #651 · 8 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #651
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH county

Nearest frequency peer: county (-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 “couple”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “couple” 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).

couple vs coups
67% similar
couple vs Coyle
50% similar
couple vs course
67% similar

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

Key facts for couple
PropertyValue
Headwordcouple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌp.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#651
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “couple” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).couplelands 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 “county” (#650), “dead” (#652), “center” (#649). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around couple (IPA /ˈkʌp.əl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #651 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for couple, with forms such as "ccouple", "copule", and "coulpe". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "coups", "Coyle", "course", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English couple, from Old French couple, from Latin cōpula. Doublet of copula. The correct English form is couple, spelled C-O-U-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Two of the same kind connected or considered together.
  2. 2
    Two partners in a romantic or sexual relationship.
  3. 3
    A small number.
  4. 4
    One of the pairs of plates of two metals which compose a voltaic battery, called a voltaic couple or galvanic couple.
  5. 5
    A turning effect created by forces that produce a non-zero external torque.
  6. 6
    A couple-close.
  7. 7
    That which joins or links two things together; a bond or tie; a coupler.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A couple of police officers appeared at the door.
  2. 'Tis in some sort with Friends (Pardon the Coarseness of the illustration) as it is with Dogs in Couples. They should be of the same Size; and Humour; and That which Pleases the One should Please the Other

Etymology

From Middle English couple, from Old French couple, from Latin cōpula. Doublet of copula.

Synonyms

twosomebracepairduofewhandful

This word in other languages

pareja(Español)couple(Français)Paar(Deutsch)casal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccouple
  • copule
  • coulpe
  • coupel
  • couplle
  • coupple
  • cuople
  • ocuple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccouple1copule2coulpe2coupel2couplle1coupple1cuople2ocuple2
Edit distance from "couple"

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 "couple"?
"couple" is spelled C-O-U-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌp.əl/.
What does "couple" mean?
As a noun, "couple" means: Two of the same kind connected or considered together.
What words are commonly confused with "couple"?
"couple" is commonly confused with "coups", "Coyle", "course". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "couple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "couple" is /ˈkʌp.əl/. 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 "couple"?
From Middle English couple, from Old French couple, from Latin cōpula. Doublet of copula. 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 "couple", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

county#650center#649happen#654inside#657

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

online8 variantsperiod8 variantsneeded8 variantsaccount8 variants

What to do next

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

  • "couple" maps to 18 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "coups". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #651 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