embark

/ɪmˈbɑːk/

//ɪmˈbɑːk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“embark” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,128. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,128
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To go aboard a craft or vessel for transportation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-embark · embark · English

embark · rank #17,128 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,128
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elves

Nearest frequency peer: elves (-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 “embark”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “embark” 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).

embark vs ember
67% similar
embark vs embers
67% similar
embark vs embarked
75% similar

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

Key facts for embark
PropertyValue
Headwordembark
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈbɑːk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,128
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “embark”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “elves” (#17,127), “Ellison” (#17,126), “entrepreneurial” (#17,130). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “embark” is #17,128. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around embark (IPA /ɪmˈbɑːk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,128 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for embark, with forms such as "ebmark", "emabrk", and "embakr". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "ember", "embers", "embarked", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French embarquer, from em- + barque (“small ship”). Compare with Portuguese embarcar, Spanish abarcar. The correct English form is embark, spelled E-M-B-A-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To go aboard a craft or vessel for transportation.
  2. 2
    To start, begin.
  3. 3
    To cause to go on board a vessel or boat; to put on shipboard.
  4. 4
    To engage, enlist, or invest (as persons, money, etc.) in any affair.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. All passengers please embark now.
  2. It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French embarquer, from em- + barque (“small ship”). Compare with Portuguese embarcar, Spanish abarcar.

Synonyms

boardmake sailtake shipping

Antonyms

disembark

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ebmark
  • emabrk
  • embakr
  • embarkk
  • embarrk
  • embbark
  • embrak
  • emmbark
  • mebark

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ebmark2emabrk2embakr2embarkk1embarrk1embbark1embrak2emmbark1
Edit distance from "embark"

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 "embark"?
"embark" is spelled E-M-B-A-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈbɑːk/.
What does "embark" mean?
As a verb, "embark" means: To go aboard a craft or vessel for transportation.
What words are commonly confused with "embark"?
"embark" is commonly confused with "ember", "embers", "embarked". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "embark"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "embark" is /ɪmˈbɑːk/. 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 "embark"?
Borrowed from Middle French embarquer, from em- + barque (“small ship”). Compare with Portuguese embarcar, Spanish abarcar. 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 "embark", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

elbows#17,125echoed#17,124Felipe#17,136fender#17,137

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

cohort9 variantsgroves9 variantshinted9 variantscactus9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list