covet

/ˈkʌvɪt/

//ˈkʌvɪt// verb

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

"covet" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“covet” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,095. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,095
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.

Corpus desk

Index EN-covet · covet · English

covet · rank #36,095 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,095
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH covertly

Nearest frequency peer: covertly (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “covet”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “covet” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

covet vs COVID
0% similar
covet vs covey
80% similar
covet vs cower
60% similar

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

Key facts for covet
PropertyValue
Headwordcovet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkʌvɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,095
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “covet”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).covetlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “covertly” (#36,094), “Coughlin” (#36,093), “coolness” (#36,092). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “covet” is #36,095. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around covet (IPA /ˈkʌvɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,095 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for covet, with forms such as "ccovet", "coevt", and "covett". 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, "COVID", "covey", "cower", 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 coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas. The correct English form is covet, spelled C-O-V-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
  2. 2
    To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
  3. 3
    To yearn; to have or indulge an inordinate desire, especially for another's possession.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What Netflix really covets is closer to its current competencies: WBD's “intellectual property”, or in plain English, franchises such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Friends, pictured, and The Sopranos.
  2. No! He covets. That is his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer now.

Etymology

From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.

Synonyms

hanker

This word in other languages

codiciar(Español)convoiter(Français)begehren(Deutsch)desejar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccovet
  • coevt
  • covett
  • covte
  • covvet
  • cvoet
  • ocvet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccovet1coevt2covett1covte2covvet1cvoet2ocvet2
Edit distance from "covet"

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 "covet"?
"covet" is spelled C-O-V-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌvɪt/.
What does "covet" mean?
As a verb, "covet" means: To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
What words are commonly confused with "covet"?
"covet" is commonly confused with "COVID", "covey", "cower". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "covet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "covet" is /ˈkʌvɪt/. 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 "covet"?
From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas. 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 "covet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dales#36,098Diggs#36,104dingy#36,105Dolph#36,110

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

chara7 variantsCessna7 variantsEocene7 variantsfalter7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list