enlist
/ɛnˈlɪst/
"enlist" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“enlist” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,833. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #17,833
- frequency rank, English
- 2,246
- “E” headwords
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 7
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - To enter on a list; to enroll; to register.
Corpus desk
Index EN-enlist · enlist · English
enlist · rank #17,833 · 9 variants · 7 confusables
- FREQ-MID #17,833
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
- VAR-MID 9 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,246
- PHOTO-FINISH endemic
Nearest frequency peer: endemic (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “enlist”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- echoing
echoing
82,173 corpus weight
- eclectic
eclectic
82,172 corpus weight
- ecstatic
ecstatic
82,171 corpus weight
- endemic
endemic
82,169 corpus weight
- enlist
enlist
82,168 corpus weight
- eta
eta
82,165 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “enlist” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | enlist |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɛnˈlɪst/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #17,833 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 7 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “enlist” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 9 spelling variants around enlist (IPA /ɛnˈlɪst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,833 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for enlist, with forms such as "elnist", "enilst", and "enlisst". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "exist", "Ennis", "Ellis", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From en- + list. The correct English form is enlist, spelled E-N-L-I-S-T.
Definition
- 1To enter on a list; to enroll; to register.
- 2To voluntarily join a cause or organization, especially military service.
- 3To recruit the aid or membership of others.
- 4To secure; to obtain.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how enlist appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The army wants potential soldiers to enlist.
We enlisted fifty new members.
Etymology
From en- + list.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- elnist
- enilst
- enlisst
- enlistt
- enlits
- enllist
- enlsit
- ennlist
- nelist
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of enlist - 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.
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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "enlist"?
What does "enlist" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "enlist"?
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What is the origin of the word "enlist"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "enlist", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).
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.