ransom

/ˈɹæn.səm/

//ˈɹæn.səm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ransom” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,588. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,588
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ransom · ransom · English

ransom · rank #11,588 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,588
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH pulp

Nearest frequency peer: pulp (-2 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 “ransom”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ransom” 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).

ransom vs ronson
67% similar
ransom vs random
83% similar

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

Key facts for ransom
PropertyValue
Headwordransom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹæn.səm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,588
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ransom”

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).ransomlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “pulp” (#11,586), “reel” (#11,590), “protector” (#11,585). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ransom” is #11,588. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around ransom (IPA /ˈɹæn.səm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,588 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for ransom, with forms such as "arnsom", "rannsom", and "ranosm". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "ronson", "random", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redēmptiō. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption. The correct English form is ransom, spelled R-A-N-S-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
  2. 2
    The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
  3. 3
    A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They were held for two million dollars ransom.
  2. They were held to ransom.

Etymology

From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redēmptiō. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption.

This word in other languages

rescate(Español)rançon(Français)Lösegeld(Deutsch)resgate(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arnsom
  • rannsom
  • ranosm
  • ransmo
  • ransomm
  • ranssom
  • rasnom
  • rnasom
  • rransom

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

arnsom2rannsom1ranosm2ransmo2ransomm1ranssom1rasnom2rnasom2
Edit distance from "ransom"

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 "ransom"?
"ransom" is spelled R-A-N-S-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹæn.səm/.
What does "ransom" mean?
As a noun, "ransom" means: Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
What words are commonly confused with "ransom"?
"ransom" is commonly confused with "ronson", "random". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ransom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ransom" is /ˈɹæn.səm/. 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 "ransom"?
From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redēmptiō. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption. 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 "ransom", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

revive#11,596sleepy#11,608staple#11,611strand#11,615

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

stunned9 variantsfaults9 variantsurging9 variantsdrummer9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list