embolden

/ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n/

//ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n// verb

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

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

The verdict

“embolden” is uncommon English (frequency #66,636 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,636
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To render (someone) bolder or more courageous; to encourage, to hearten.

Corpus desk

Index EN-embolden · embolden · English

embolden · rank #66,636 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,636
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH endeavoring

Nearest frequency peer: endeavoring (+2 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 “embolden”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for embolden
PropertyValue
Headwordembolden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n/
Letters8
Frequency rank#66,636
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “embolden” in English

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).emboldenfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “endeavoring” (#66,638), “efflux” (#66,633), “epicurean” (#66,639). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “embolden” is #66,636. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

embolden is uncommon English at frequency #66,636 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for embolden in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From bold (adjective) + em- -en (variant of en- -en (circumfix forming transitive verbs denoting an increase in, or intensification of, the quality denoted by the enclosed word)). Compare Middle English embolden, enbolden (“to make bold, encourage”) (modern… The correct English form is embolden, spelled E-M-B-O-L-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To render (someone) bolder or more courageous; to encourage, to hearten.
  2. 2
    To format (text) in boldface.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Steel your thoughts, ſharp your reſolue, imboldẽ your spirit, graſp your ſvvords; alarum miſchief, & vvith an vndãted brovv, out ſcout the grim oppoſition of most menacing perill.
  2. I haue heard many ſuch things: miſerable comforters are ye all. Shall vaine words haue an ende? or what emboldeneth thee, that thou anſwereſt?

Etymology

From bold (adjective) + em- -en (variant of en- -en (circumfix forming transitive verbs denoting an increase in, or intensification of, the quality denoted by the enclosed word)). Compare Middle English embolden, enbolden (“to make bold, encourage”) (modern English embold, enbold, imbold (obsolete)), and inboldysshen (“to embolden, encourage”).

This word in other languages

envalentonar(Español)encourager(Français)ermutigen(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 "embolden"?
"embolden" is spelled E-M-B-O-L-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n/.
What does "embolden" mean?
As a verb, "embolden" means: To render (someone) bolder or more courageous; to encourage, to hearten.
How do you pronounce "embolden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "embolden" is /ɛmˈbəʊld(ə)n/. 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 "embolden"?
From bold (adjective) + em- -en (variant of en- -en (circumfix forming transitive verbs denoting an increase in, or intensification of, the quality denoted by the enclosed word)). Compare Middle English embolden, enbolden (“to make bold, encourage... 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 "embolden", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dystonia#66,630eruptive#66,643fairplay#66,651fatalism#66,655

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list