emissary
/ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/
"emissary" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“emissary” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,278 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #35,278
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | emissary |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #35,278 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “emissary” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for emissary is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,278 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
- 2An agent sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else.
- 3A venous channel in the skull.
- 4An underground channel by which the water of a lake escapes.
Etymology
From French émissaire, from Latin emissarius (“agent, scout, spy”).
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "emissary" mean?
What are common misspellings of "emissary"?
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What is the origin of the word "emissary"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “emissary”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-M-I-S-S-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɛmɪs(ə)ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.