emissary

/ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/

//ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“emissary” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,278. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,278
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.

Corpus desk

Index EN-emissary · emissary · English

emissary · rank #35,278 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,278
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH els

Nearest frequency peer: els (-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 “emissary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “emissary” 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
Key facts for emissary
PropertyValue
Headwordemissary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#35,278
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “emissary”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).emissarylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “els” (#35,277), “enclosing” (#35,279), “Enron” (#35,280). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “emissary” is #35,278. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around emissary (IPA /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,278 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for emissary, with forms such as "eimssary", "emisary", and "emisasry". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French émissaire, from Latin emissarius (“agent, scout, spy”). The correct English form is emissary, spelled E-M-I-S-S-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
  2. 2
    An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
  3. 3
    A venous channel in the skull.
  4. 4
    An underground channel by which the water of a lake escapes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The small group around Ch’en Tu-hsiu that had remained at headquarters hastily sent an emissary—Chang Kuo-t’ao—to Nanch’ang. Though Chang set out immediately, he did not reach Nanch’ang until July 31, the day before the rising.
  2. Near-synonym: missionary

Etymology

From French émissaire, from Latin emissarius (“agent, scout, spy”).

This word in other languages

emisario(Español)émissaire(Français)Emissär(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eimssary
  • emisary
  • emisasry
  • emissarry
  • emissaryy
  • emissayr
  • emissray
  • emmissary
  • emsisary
  • meissary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of emissary - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eimssary2emisary1emisasry2emissarry1emissaryy1emissayr2emissray2emmissary1
Edit distance from "emissary"

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 "emissary"?
"emissary" is spelled E-M-I-S-S-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/.
What does "emissary" mean?
As a noun, "emissary" means: An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
What are common misspellings of "emissary"?
Common misspellings include "eimssary", "emisary", "emisasry", "emissarry", "emissaryy". The correct spelling is "emissary".
How do you pronounce "emissary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "emissary" is /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/. 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 "emissary"?
From French émissaire, from Latin emissarius (“agent, scout, spy”). 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 "emissary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

erectile#35,282Esposito#35,283Flaherty#35,291flopping#35,295

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

earthen10 variantseyelash10 variantsdrowns10 variantsDemarco10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list