success

/səkˈsɛs/

//səkˈsɛs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“success” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #935 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#935
frequency rank, English
7
letters
7
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The achievement of one's aim or goal.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

success vs successor
78% similar
success vs succeed
71% similar

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

Key facts for success
PropertyValue
Headwordsuccess
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səkˈsɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#935
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “success” 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). success 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 success is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səkˈsɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #935 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for success, with forms such as "scucess", "ssuccess", and "succes". 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, "successor", "succeed", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin successus, from succēdō (“succeed”), from sub- (“next to”) + cēdō (“go, move”). Partly displaced native Old English spēd, whence Modern English speed. The correct English form is success, spelled S-U-C-C-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The achievement of one's aim or goal.
  2. 2
    Financial profitability.
  3. 3
    One who, or that which, achieves assumed goals.
  4. 4
    The fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.
  5. 5
    Something which happens as a consequence; the outcome or result.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin successus, from succēdō (“succeed”), from sub- (“next to”) + cēdō (“go, move”). Partly displaced native Old English spēd, whence Modern English speed.

Synonyms

éclat

This word in other languages

éxito(Español)succès(Français)Erfolg(Deutsch)sucesso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: scucess,ssuccess,succes,succses,sucecss,sucess,usccess

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of success - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

scucess2ssuccess1succes1succses2sucecss2sucess1usccess2
Edit distance from "success"

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 "success"?
"success" is spelled S-U-C-C-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /səkˈsɛs/.
What does "success" mean?
As a noun, "success" means: The achievement of one's aim or goal.
What words are commonly confused with "success"?
"success" is commonly confused with "successor", "succeed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "success"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "success" is /səkˈsɛs/. 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 "success"?
Learned borrowing from Latin successus, from succēdō (“succeed”), from sub- (“next to”) + cēdō (“go, move”). Partly displaced native Old English spēd, whence Modern English speed. 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 “success”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-C-C-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /səkˈsɛs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “successor” - see the side-by-side comparison. success vs successor
  • 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