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PlainSpell

ransom

ran·som/ˈɹæn.səm/noun, verb

ransom is spelled R-A-N-S-O-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ran·som). It appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ransom means “Money paid for the freeing of a hostage” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ransom is ransoms.

How many letters and syllables are in ransom?

Letters6: R-A-N-S-O-M
Syllables2: ran·som
In writing4.8 times per million words; the 11,541st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is ransom?

Ransom appears 4.8 times per million words in written English, the 11,541st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce ransom?

  • /ˈɹæn.səm/

Ransom has 2 syllables, split ran·som in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ransom.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with ransom?

No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as ransom.

Spelled with the same letters in another order: ramson.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of ransom

  • ransoms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • ransoming participle, present
  • ransomed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does ransom mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.

    They were held for two million dollars ransom.

  2. 2

    The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.

    prisoners hopeless of ransom

  3. 3

    UKA sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

verb

  1. 1

    obsoleteTo deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.

  2. 2

    To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.

    to ransom prisoners from an enemy

  3. 3

    To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Ransom in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchrançon (money paid for the freeing of a hostage), rançonner (to pay a price to set someone free)
GermanLösegeld (money paid for the freeing of a hostage), (mit Lösegeld) freikaufen, auslösen, loskaufen (to pay a price to set someone free), auspressen (to exact a ransom for, or a payment on)
Portugueseresgate (money paid for the freeing of a hostage), pagar resgate (to pay a price to set someone free)
Spanishrescate (money paid for the freeing of a hostage), rescatar, pagar la extorsión por (to pay a price to set someone free)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does ransom come from?

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

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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