encouragement

[ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]

/[ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]/ noun

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

"encouragement" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“encouragement” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,742. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,742
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of encouraging

Corpus desk

Index EN-encouragement · encouragement · English

encouragement · rank #9,742 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,742
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Elliott

Nearest frequency peer: Elliott (-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 “encouragement”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “encouragement” 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 encouragement
PropertyValue
Headwordencouragement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]
Letters13
Frequency rank#9,742
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “encouragement”

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).encouragementlands 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 “Elliott” (#9,741), “enforced” (#9,743), “Evan” (#9,744). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “encouragement” is #9,742. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around encouragement (IPA [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,742 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for encouragement, with forms such as "ecnouragement", "enccouragement", and "encoruagement". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French encoragement. The correct English form is encouragement, spelled E-N-C-O-U-R-A-G-E-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of encouraging
  2. 2
    Something that incites, supports, promotes, protects or advances; incentive
  3. 3
    Words or actions that increase someone's confidence
  4. 4
    The feeling of being encouraged

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. even their arch-enemy the gamekeeper is beginning reluctantly, but gradually, to acquiesce in the general belief of their innocence and utility, I cannot help indulging the hope that this bird will eventually meet with that general encouragement and protection to which its eminent services so richly entitle it.
  2. The train was handed over 21 min. late at Salisbury, so there was every encouragement to Driver Moore, of Salisbury, to "get a move on."

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French encoragement.

This word in other languages

apoyo(Español)encouragement(Français)Ermutigung(Deutsch)encorajamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ecnouragement
  • enccouragement
  • encoruagement
  • encouargement
  • encouraegment
  • encourageemnt
  • encouragemennt
  • encouragementt
  • encouragemetn
  • encouragemment
  • encouragemnet
  • encouraggement
  • encouragmeent
  • encourgaement
  • encourragement
  • encuoragement
  • enncouragement
  • enocuragement
  • necouragement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecnouragement2enccouragement1encoruagement2encouargement2encouraegment2encourageemnt2encouragemennt1encouragementt1
Edit distance from "encouragement"

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 "encouragement"?
"encouragement" is spelled E-N-C-O-U-R-A-G-E-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt].
What does "encouragement" mean?
As a noun, "encouragement" means: The act of encouraging
What are common misspellings of "encouragement"?
Common misspellings include "ecnouragement", "enccouragement", "encoruagement", "encouargement", "encouraegment". The correct spelling is "encouragement".
How do you pronounce "encouragement"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "encouragement" is [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]. 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 "encouragement"?
Borrowed from Middle French encoragement. 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 "encouragement", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

predominantly#9,650collaborative#9,860developmental#9,874commissioners#10,016

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

inconsistent19 variantskindergarten19 variantsreproduction19 variantsconstructive19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list