engross
/ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/
"engross" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“engross” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To write (a document) in large, aesthetic, and legible lettering; to make a finalized copy of.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | engross |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “engross” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for engross is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for engross in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English engrossen, from Anglo-Norman engrosser (“to gather in large quantities, draft something in final form”); partly from the phrase en gros (“in bulk, in quantity, at wholesale”), from en- + gros; and partly from Medieval Latin ingrossō (“th… The correct English form is engross, spelled E-N-G-R-O-S-S.
Definition
- 1To write (a document) in large, aesthetic, and legible lettering; to make a finalized copy of.
- 2To buy up wholesale, especially to buy the whole supply of (a commodity etc.).
- 3To monopolize; to concentrate (something) in the single possession of someone, especially unfairly.
- 4To completely engage the attention of; to involve.
- 5To thicken; to condense.
- 6To make gross, thick, or large; to thicken; to increase in bulk or quantity.
- 7To amass.
Etymology
From Middle English engrossen, from Anglo-Norman engrosser (“to gather in large quantities, draft something in final form”); partly from the phrase en gros (“in bulk, in quantity, at wholesale”), from en- + gros; and partly from Medieval Latin ingrossō (“thicken, write something large and in bold lettering”, v.), from in- + grossus (“great, big, thick”), from Old High German grōz (“big, thick, coarse”), from Proto-West Germanic *graut, from Proto-Germanic *grautaz (“large, great, thick, coarse grained, unrefined”), from Proto-Indo-European *ghrewə- (“to fell, put down, fall in”). More at in-, gross. By surface analysis, en- + gross.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "engross"?
What does "engross" mean?
How do you pronounce "engross"?
What is the origin of the word "engross"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “engross”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-N-G-R-O-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪnˈɡɹəʊs/ (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.