suborn
/səˈbɔːn/
"suborn" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“suborn” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To induce (someone) to commit an unlawful or malicious act, especially in a corrupt manner.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | suborn |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /səˈbɔːn/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “suborn” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for suborn is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səˈbɔːn/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for suborn in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *upó Borrowed from Anglo-Norman suburner, subhorner, and Middle French suborner, subourner (“to induce (someone) to commit a crime (specifically perjury) or wrongdoing”) (modern French suborner (“to suborn; to bribe”)), and from its etymon Latin s… The correct English form is suborn, spelled S-U-B-O-R-N.
Definition
- 1To induce (someone) to commit an unlawful or malicious act, especially in a corrupt manner.
- 2To induce (someone) to commit an unlawful or malicious act, especially in a corrupt manner.
- 3To achieve (some result; specifically, perjury) in a corrupt manner.
- 4To procure or provide (something) secretly and often in a dishonest manner.
- 5To make use of (something), especially for corrupt or dishonest reasons.
- 6To aid, assist, or support (something).
- 7To furnish or provide (something).
- 8To substitute (a thing) for something else, especially secretly and often in a dishonest manner.
Etymology
PIE word *upó Borrowed from Anglo-Norman suburner, subhorner, and Middle French suborner, subourner (“to induce (someone) to commit a crime (specifically perjury) or wrongdoing”) (modern French suborner (“to suborn; to bribe”)), and from its etymon Latin subōrnāre, the present active infinitive of subōrnō (“to incite, instigate, suborn; to instruct one for a secret purpose; to adorn, dress; to equip, furnish, provide; to make one appear as (something)”), from sub- (prefix meaning ‘under’) + ōrnō (“to equip, furnish, provide; to adorn, decorate, ornament”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to put together, fit; to fix; to slot”)). Cognates * Catalan subornar * Italian subornare * Old Occitan subornar, sobornar * Portuguese subornar * Spanish subornar (obsolete), sobornar
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “suborn”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-U-B-O-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /səˈbɔːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.