enforce

/ɪnˈfoɹs/

//ɪnˈfoɹs// verb

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

"enforce" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“enforce” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,559. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,559
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.

Corpus desk

Index EN-enforce · enforce · English

enforce · rank #7,559 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,559
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH employ

Nearest frequency peer: employ (-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 “enforce”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “enforce” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

enforce vs enforced
88% similar
enforce vs enforcer
88% similar
enforce vs encore
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for enforce
PropertyValue
Headwordenforce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈfoɹs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,559
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “enforce”

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).enforcelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “employ” (#7,558), “explicit” (#7,560), “drake” (#7,557). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “enforce” is #7,559. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around enforce (IPA /ɪnˈfoɹs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,559 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for enforce, with forms such as "efnorce", "enfforce", and "enfocre". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "enforced", "enforcer", "encore", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”). The correct English form is enforce, spelled E-N-F-O-R-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
  2. 2
    To give strength or force to; to affirm, to emphasize.
  3. 3
    To strengthen (a castle, town etc.) with extra troops, fortifications etc.
  4. 4
    To intensify, make stronger, add force to.
  5. 5
    To exert oneself, to try hard.
  6. 6
    To compel, oblige (someone or something); to force.
  7. 7
    To make or gain by force; to force.
  8. 8
    To put in motion or action by violence; to drive.
  9. 9
    To give force to; to strengthen; to invigorate; to energize.
  10. 10
    To urge; to ply hard; to lay much stress upon.
  11. 11
    To prove; to evince.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The police are there to enforce the law.
  2. 1929, Chiang Kai-shek, quoted in “Nationalist Notes,” Time, 11 February, 1929, Our task is only half finished. It will be my duty to enforce the decisions of the conference and I hereby pledge myself to that end.

Etymology

From Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”).

This word in other languages

aplicar(Español)renforcer(Français)vollstrecken(Deutsch)reforçar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • efnorce
  • enfforce
  • enfocre
  • enforcce
  • enforec
  • enforrce
  • enfroce
  • ennforce
  • enofrce
  • neforce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of enforce - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

efnorce2enfforce1enfocre2enforcce1enforec2enforrce1enfroce2ennforce1
Edit distance from "enforce"

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 "enforce"?
"enforce" is spelled E-N-F-O-R-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈfoɹs/.
What does "enforce" mean?
As a verb, "enforce" means: To keep up, impose or bring into effect something, not necessarily by force.
What words are commonly confused with "enforce"?
"enforce" is commonly confused with "enforced", "enforcer", "encore". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enforce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enforce" is /ɪnˈfoɹs/. 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 "enforce"?
From Middle English enforcen, from Old French enforcier, from Late Latin infortiāre, from in- + fortis (“strong”). 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 "enforce", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lightly#7,577linking#7,578nominee#7,586beaches#7,528

Similar misspelling depth

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

preview10 variantstuition10 variantssocially10 variantssprint10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list