enter

/ˈɛntə(ɹ)/

//ˈɛntə(ɹ)// verb

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

"enter" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“enter” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,632. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,632
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To go or come into an enclosed or partially enclosed space.

Corpus desk

Index EN-enter · enter · English

enter · rank #1,632 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,632
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH employees

Nearest frequency peer: employees (-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 “enter”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “enter” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

enter vs ever
60% similar
enter vs entry
60% similar
enter vs ether
60% similar

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

Key facts for enter
PropertyValue
Headwordenter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɛntə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,632
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “enter” 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). enter lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around enter (IPA /ˈɛntə(ɹ)/), averb. Corpus frequency is #1,632 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for enter, with forms such as "enetr", "ennter", and "enterr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ever", "entry", "ether", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English entren, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrō (“enter”, verb), from intrā (“inside”). Has been spelled as "enter" for several centuries even in the United Kingdom, although British English and the English of many Commonwealth Countrie… The correct English form is enter, spelled E-N-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To go or come into an enclosed or partially enclosed space.
  2. 2
    To cause to go (into), or to be received (into); to put in; to insert; to cause to be admitted.
  3. 3
    To go or come into (a state or profession).
  4. 4
    To type (something) into a computer; to input.
  5. 5
    To record (something) in an account, ledger, etc.
  6. 6
    To become a party to an agreement, treaty, etc.
  7. 7
    To become effective; to come into effect.
  8. 8
    To go into or upon, as lands, and take actual possession of them.
  9. 9
    To place in regular form before the court, usually in writing; to put upon record in proper from and order
  10. 10
    To make report of (a vessel or its cargo) at the custom house; to submit a statement of (imported goods), with the original invoices, to the proper customs officer for estimating the duties. See entry.
  11. 11
    To file, or register with the land office, the required particulars concerning (a quantity of public land) in order to entitle a person to a right of preemption.
  12. 12
    To deposit for copyright the title or description of (a book, picture, map, etc.).
  13. 13
    To initiate; to introduce favourably.
  14. 14
    To begin (a regular activity or job); to undertake; to take up.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You should knock before you enter, unless you want to see me naked.
  2. […]you can fynde in youre heartes to assaulte her with rebellion, or in any wise [ways] suffer any one eyvil motion to enter into your thoughtes against her?

Etymology

From Middle English entren, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrō (“enter”, verb), from intrā (“inside”). Has been spelled as "enter" for several centuries even in the United Kingdom, although British English and the English of many Commonwealth Countries (e.g. Australia, Canada) retain the "re" ending for many words such as centre, fibre, spectre, theatre, calibre, sombre, lustre, and litre.

Synonyms

go iningocome in

Antonyms

exit

This word in other languages

entrar(Español)entrer(Français)hineingehen(Deutsch)entrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enetr
  • ennter
  • enterr
  • entter
  • etner
  • neter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enetr2ennter1enterr1entter1etner2neter2
Edit distance from "enter"

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 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "enter"?
"enter" is spelled E-N-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛntə(ɹ)/.
What does "enter" mean?
As a verb, "enter" means: To go or come into an enclosed or partially enclosed space.
What words are commonly confused with "enter"?
"enter" is commonly confused with "ever", "entry", "ether". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "enter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "enter" is /ˈɛntə(ɹ)/. 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 "enter"?
From Middle English entren, from Old French entrer, from Latin intrō (“enter”, verb), from intrā (“inside”). Has been spelled as "enter" for several centuries even in the United Kingdom, although British English and the English of many Commonwealt... 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 "enter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Chris#1,628basis#1,626apply#1,624agent#1,622

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

draw6 variantsring6 variantspush6 variantsParis6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "enter". Here's where to go from here.

  • "enter" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "ever". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,632 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "E" letter cohort. E–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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