possess

/pəˈzɛs/

//pəˈzɛs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“possess” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,949. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,949
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.

Corpus desk

Index EN-possess · possess · English

possess · rank #6,949 · 7 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,949
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH platinum

Nearest frequency peer: platinum (-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 “possess”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “possess” 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).

possess vs possessed
78% similar
possess vs possesses
78% similar
possess vs possessor
78% similar

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

Key facts for possess
PropertyValue
Headwordpossess
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/pəˈzɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,949
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “possess”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).possesslands 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 “platinum” (#6,948), “praised” (#6,950), “pending” (#6,947). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “possess” is #6,949. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around possess (IPA /pəˈzɛs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,949 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 16 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for possess, with forms such as "opssess", "posess", and "posesss". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "possessed", "possesses", "possessor", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *pótis From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from Latin pos… The correct English form is possess, spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.
  2. 2
    Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence.
  3. 3
    Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind).
  4. 4
    Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).
  5. 5
    Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).
  6. 6
    To cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy.
  7. 7
    To occupy the attention or time of (someone).
  8. 8
    To obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win.
  9. 9
    Chiefly followed by of or with: to vest ownership of something in (oneself or someone); to bestow upon, to endow.
  10. 10
    To have control or possession of, but not to own (a chattel or an interest in land).
  11. 11
    To give (someone) information or knowledge; to acquaint, to inform.
  12. 12
    To have the ability to use, or knowledge of (a language, a skill, etc.)
  13. 13
    To inhabit or occupy (a place).
  14. 14
    Chiefly followed by that: to convince or persuade (someone).
  15. 15
    To dominate sexually; to have sexual intercourse with.
  16. 16
    To inhabit or occupy a place.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He does not even possess a working telephone.
  2. For men being generally poſſeſſed before the time of our Saviour, […] of an opinion, that the Souls of men were ſubſtances diſtinct from their Bodies, and therefore that when the Body was dead, the Soule of every man, whether godly, or wicked, muſt ſubſiſt ſomewhere by vertue of its own nature, without acknowledging therein any ſupernaturall gift of Gods;…

Etymology

PIE word *pótis From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from Latin possessus (“possessed; seized”), the perfect passive participle of possideō (“to have, hold, own, possess; to have possessions; to take control or possession of, occupy, seize; to abide, inhabit, occupy; to dominate”), from potis (“able, capable, possible”) (from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“master; ruler; husband”)) + sedeō (“to sit; to be seated; to be established, hold firm”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- (“to sit”)).

Synonyms

haveholdownpossess

Antonyms

go withoutlose

This word in other languages

poseer(Español)posséder(Français)besitzen(Deutsch)possuir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opssess
  • posess
  • posesss
  • posses
  • possses
  • ppossess
  • psosess

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of possess - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

opssess2posess1posesss2posses1possses2ppossess1psosess2
Edit distance from "possess"

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 "possess"?
"possess" is spelled P-O-S-S-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈzɛs/.
What does "possess" mean?
As a verb, "possess" means: To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.
What words are commonly confused with "possess"?
"possess" is commonly confused with "possessed", "possesses", "possessor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "possess"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "possess" is /pəˈzɛs/. 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 "possess"?
PIE word *pótis From Middle English possessen (“to have, own; to obtain possession of; to inhabit, occupy”) [and other forms], from Middle French possesser, possessier, Old French possesser, possessier (“to have, own, possess; to dominate”), from... 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 "possess", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

praised#6,950pending#6,947needing#6,938mercury#6,935

Similar misspelling depth

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

rider7 variantsruins7 variantsDerek7 variantsgoddess7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list