enough

/ɪˈnʌf/

//ɪˈnʌf// det

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

"enough" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“enough” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #260 in English word frequency and used as a determiner.

#260
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

enough vs Enugu
50% similar
enough vs Enoch
50% similar

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

Key facts for enough
PropertyValue
Headwordenough
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechDeterminer
IPA/ɪˈnʌf/
Letters6
Frequency rank#260
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “enough” 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). enough lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for enough is 6 letters long, classified as a determiner, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪˈnʌf/. Corpus data places it at rank #260 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for enough, with forms such as "ennough", "enoguh", and "enouggh". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Enugu", "Enoch", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German (ge)noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *ganuganą 'to … The correct English form is enough, spelled E-N-O-U-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.
  2. 2
    Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.

Etymology

From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German (ge)noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *ganuganą 'to suffice' (compare Old English ġeneah), or from *ga- + an unattested *nōgaz, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂nó(n)ḱe (“he has reached, attained”), perfective of *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”) (compare Old Irish tánaic (“he arrived”), Latin nancisci (“to get”), Albanian kënaq (“to please, satisfy”).).

This word in other languages

bastante(Español)assez(Français)genug(Deutsch)bastante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ennough,enoguh,enouggh,enoughh,enouhg,enuogh,eonugh,neough

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ennough1enoguh2enouggh1enoughh1enouhg2enuogh2eonugh2neough2
Edit distance from "enough"

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 "enough"?
"enough" is spelled E-N-O-U-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈnʌf/.
What does "enough" mean?
As a determiner, "enough" means: Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.
What words are commonly confused with "enough"?
"enough" is commonly confused with "Enugu", "Enoch". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enough"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enough" is /ɪˈnʌf/. 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 "enough"?
From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German (ge)noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *gan... 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 “enough”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-O-U-G-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪˈnʌf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Enugu” - see the side-by-side comparison. enough vs Enugu
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list