seduce

/sɪˈdjuːs/

//sɪˈdjuːs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“seduce” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,355 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#21,355
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To beguile or lure (someone) away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct; to lead astray.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

seduce vs segue
67% similar
seduce vs spruce
67% similar
seduce vs sauce
67% similar

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

Key facts for seduce
PropertyValue
Headwordseduce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/sɪˈdjuːs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#21,355
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “seduce” 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). seduce lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for seduce is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɪˈdjuːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,355 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for seduce, with forms such as "esduce", "sdeuce", and "sedcue". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "segue", "spruce", "sauce", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin sēdūcō (“to lead apart or astray”), from sē- (“aside, away, astray”) + dūcō (“to lead”); see duct. Compare adduce, conduce, deduce, etc. and Middle English seduct. The correct English form is seduce, spelled S-E-D-U-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To beguile or lure (someone) away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct; to lead astray.
  2. 2
    To entice or induce (someone) to engage in a sexual relationship.
  3. 3
    To have sexual intercourse with.
  4. 4
    To win over or attract.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin sēdūcō (“to lead apart or astray”), from sē- (“aside, away, astray”) + dūcō (“to lead”); see duct. Compare adduce, conduce, deduce, etc. and Middle English seduct.

This word in other languages

seducir(Español)séduire(Français)verführen(Deutsch)seduzir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esduce,sdeuce,sedcue,sedduce,seducce,seduec,seudce,sseduce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esduce2sdeuce2sedcue2sedduce1seducce1seduec2seudce2sseduce1
Edit distance from "seduce"

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 "seduce"?
"seduce" is spelled S-E-D-U-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈdjuːs/.
What does "seduce" mean?
As a verb, "seduce" means: To beguile or lure (someone) away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct; to lead astray.
What words are commonly confused with "seduce"?
"seduce" is commonly confused with "segue", "spruce", "sauce". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "seduce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "seduce" is /sɪˈdjuːs/. 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 "seduce"?
Borrowed from Latin sēdūcō (“to lead apart or astray”), from sē- (“aside, away, astray”) + dūcō (“to lead”); see duct. Compare adduce, conduce, deduce, etc. and Middle English seduct. 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.

Using “seduce”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-D-U-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sɪˈdjuːs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “segue” - see the side-by-side comparison. seduce vs segue
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list