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 an uncommon English word, ranked #68,195 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#68,195
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To entrap; to catch in a snare or trap.

Key facts for ensnare
PropertyValue
Headwordensnare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɛnˈsnɛə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#68,195
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ensnare” 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). ensnare 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 ensnare is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɛnˈsnɛə/. Corpus data places it at rank #68,195 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “ensnare”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-S-N-A-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɛnˈsnɛə/ (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.

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

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