covenant

/ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/

//ˈkʌv.ən.ənt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“covenant” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,673 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,673
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

covenant vs covent
75% similar

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

Key facts for covenant
PropertyValue
Headwordcovenant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,673
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “covenant” 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). covenant 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 covenant is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,673 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for covenant, with forms such as "ccovenant", "coevnant", and "coveannt". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "covent", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English covenaunt, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveniēns, convenientem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient and convene. The correct English form is covenant, spelled C-O-V-E-N-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
  2. 2
    A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.
  3. 3
    A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties.
  4. 4
    An incidental clause in an agreement.

Etymology

From Middle English covenaunt, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveniēns, convenientem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient and convene.

Synonyms

pactagreement

This word in other languages

convenio(Español)accord(Français)Übereinkommen(Deutsch)pacto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccovenant,coevnant,coveannt,covenannt,covenantt,covenatn,covennant,covennat,covneant,covvenant,cvoenant,ocvenant

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccovenant1coevnant2coveannt2covenannt1covenantt1covenatn2covennant1covennat2
Edit distance from "covenant"

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 "covenant"?
"covenant" is spelled C-O-V-E-N-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/.
What does "covenant" mean?
As a noun, "covenant" means: An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
What words are commonly confused with "covenant"?
"covenant" is commonly confused with "covent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "covenant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "covenant" is /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/. 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 "covenant"?
From Middle English covenaunt, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveniēns, convenientem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient and convene. 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 “covenant”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-V-E-N-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “covent” - see the side-by-side comparison. covenant vs covent
  • 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