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
18,836
“E” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of encouraging

Key facts for encouragement
PropertyValue
Headwordencouragement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt]
Letters13
Frequency rank#9,742
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “encouragement” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). 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 18,836 “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

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.

Using “encouragement”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-C-O-U-R-A-G-E-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɪnˈkʌɹɪd͡ʒmənt] (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

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list