obsess

/əbˈsɛs/

//əbˈsɛs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“obsess” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,948. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,948
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obsess · obsess · English

obsess · rank #32,948 · 7 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,948
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH obscenity

Nearest frequency peer: obscenity (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “obsess”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “obsess” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

obsess vs obsessed
75% similar
obsess vs obese
67% similar

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

Key facts for obsess
PropertyValue
Headwordobsess
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əbˈsɛs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#32,948
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “obsess”

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).obsesslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “obscenity” (#32,947), “oat” (#32,946), “nutritionist” (#32,945). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obsess” is #32,948. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around obsess (IPA /əbˈsɛs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #32,948 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for obsess, with forms such as "bosess", "obbsess", and "obesss". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "obsessed", "obese", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob (“before”) + sedeō (“I sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess. The correct English form is obsess, spelled O-B-S-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.
  2. 2
    To dominate the thoughts of someone.
  3. 3
    To think or talk obsessively about.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Some people are obsessed with sports.
  2. The [Isaac] Newton that emerges from the [unpublished] manuscripts is far from the popular image of a rational practitioner of cold and pure reason. The architect of modern science was himself not very modern. He was obsessed with alchemy.

Etymology

From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob (“before”) + sedeō (“I sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess.

Synonyms

fixate

This word in other languages

obsesionarse(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bosess
  • obbsess
  • obesss
  • obses
  • obsses
  • obssess
  • osbess

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bosess2obbsess1obesss2obses1obsses2obssess1osbess2
Edit distance from "obsess"

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 "obsess"?
"obsess" is spelled O-B-S-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈsɛs/.
What does "obsess" mean?
As a verb, "obsess" means: To be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion.
What words are commonly confused with "obsess"?
"obsess" is commonly confused with "obsessed", "obese". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obsess"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obsess" is /əbˈsɛs/. 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 "obsess"?
From Latin obsessus, perfect passive participle of obsideō (“sit on or in, remain, besiege”), from ob (“before”) + sedeō (“I sit”); see sit, session, etc.; compare assess, possess. 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 "obsess", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

orator#32,951nether#32,937Nestor#32,936musket#32,931

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

mayne7 variantspuffed7 variantsrerun7 variantssakes7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list