covetousness

/ˈkʌvətəsnəs/

//ˈkʌvətəsnəs// noun

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

"covetousness" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“covetousness” is uncommon English (frequency #92,493 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,493
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-covetousness · covetousness · English

covetousness · rank #92,493 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #92,493
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Cradock

Nearest frequency peer: Cradock (+3 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.

Long-tail ranks near “covetousness”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “covetousness” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for covetousness
PropertyValue
Headwordcovetousness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌvətəsnəs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#92,493
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “covetousness” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Cradock” (#92,496), “cribbing” (#92,498), “conjectural” (#92,487). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “covetousness” is #92,493. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

covetousness is uncommon English at frequency #92,493 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkʌvətəsnəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for covetousness, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English covatusnes, covetousnes, coveytousnesse; equivalent to covetous + -ness. The correct English form is covetousness, spelled C-O-V-E-T-O-U-S-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He which will yield to Fear. muſt neceſſarily yield to Covetouſneſs or any inordinate Deſire.
  2. Covetouſneſs is the yelow Jaundice of the foul, which ariſes from the over-flowing of the heart with love to yellow gold, by which a Chriſtian is dull'd and deadned.

Etymology

From Middle English covatusnes, covetousnes, coveytousnesse; equivalent to covetous + -ness.

This word in other languages

codicia(Español)convoitise(Français)Habsucht(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 "covetousness"?
"covetousness" is spelled C-O-V-E-T-O-U-S-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌvətəsnəs/.
What does "covetousness" mean?
As a noun, "covetousness" means: Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.
How do you pronounce "covetousness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "covetousness" is /ˈkʌvətəsnəs/. 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 "covetousness"?
From Middle English covatusnes, covetousnes, coveytousnesse; equivalent to covetous + -ness. 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 "covetousness", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cyberwarfare#92,508codependency#92,475centeredness#92,440cannibalized#92,429

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list