ensnare

/ɛnˈsnɛə/

//ɛnˈsnɛə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“ensnare” is uncommon English (frequency #68,195 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,195
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To entrap; to catch in a snare or trap.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ensnare · ensnare · English

ensnare · rank #68,195 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,195
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ergodic

Nearest frequency peer: ergodic (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “ensnare”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “ensnare” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ensnare
PropertyValue
Headwordensnare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛnˈsnɛə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#68,195
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ensnare” in English

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).ensnarefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “ergodic” (#68,196), “Enola” (#68,193), “endothelium” (#68,192). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “ensnare” is #68,195. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ensnare is uncommon English at frequency #68,195 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɛnˈsnɛə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for ensnare in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From en- + snare. The correct English form is ensnare, spelled E-N-S-N-A-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To entrap; to catch in a snare or trap.
  2. 2
    To entangle; to enmesh.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Let theſe / Inſnare the vvretched in the toils of lavv, / Fomenting diſcord, and perplexing right, / An iron race!
  2. The Geese and the Cranes fed in the same meadow. A birdcatcher came to ensnare them in his nets.

Etymology

From en- + snare.

This word in other languages

atrapar(Español)piéger(Français)fangen(Deutsch)emaranhar(Português)

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 "ensnare"?
"ensnare" is spelled E-N-S-N-A-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛnˈsnɛə/.
What does "ensnare" mean?
As a verb, "ensnare" means: To entrap; to catch in a snare or trap.
How do you pronounce "ensnare"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ensnare" is /ɛnˈsnɛə/. 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 "ensnare"?
From en- + snare. 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 "ensnare", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

ergodic#68,196fanzine#68,206egotism#68,181fathead#68,209

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list