succumb

/səˈkʌm/

//səˈkʌm// verb

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

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

The verdict

“succumb” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,982. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,982
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.

Corpus desk

Index EN-succumb · succumb · English

succumb · rank #26,982 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,982
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH suffocating

Nearest frequency peer: suffocating (+1 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 “succumb”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “succumb” 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
Key facts for succumb
PropertyValue
Headwordsuccumb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈkʌm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,982
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “succumb”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).succumblands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “suffocating” (#26,983), “subdue” (#26,980), “stylized” (#26,979). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “succumb” is #26,982. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around succumb (IPA /səˈkʌm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #26,982 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for succumb, with forms such as "scucumb", "ssuccumb", and "succmub". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- Proto-Italic *kumbō Latin *cumbō Latin succumbere Old French succomberbor. English succumb From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō. The correct English form is succumb, spelled S-U-C-C-U-M-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
  2. 2
    To give up, or give in.
  3. 3
    To die.
  4. 4
    To overwhelm or bring down.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. succumb to temptation
  2. succumb under misfortunes

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- Proto-Italic *kumbō Latin *cumbō Latin succumbere Old French succomberbor. English succumb From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō.

This word in other languages

sucumbir(Español)succomber(Français)erliegen(Deutsch)sucumbir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • scucumb
  • ssuccumb
  • succmub
  • succubm
  • succumbb
  • succummb
  • sucucmb
  • sucumb
  • usccumb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

scucumb2ssuccumb1succmub2succubm2succumbb1succummb1sucucmb2sucumb1
Edit distance from "succumb"

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 "succumb"?
"succumb" is spelled S-U-C-C-U-M-B. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈkʌm/.
What does "succumb" mean?
As a verb, "succumb" means: To yield to an overpowering force or overwhelming desire.
What are common misspellings of "succumb"?
Common misspellings include "scucumb", "ssuccumb", "succmub", "succubm", "succumbb". The correct spelling is "succumb".
How do you pronounce "succumb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "succumb" is /səˈkʌm/. 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 "succumb"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub- Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb- Proto-Italic *kumbō Latin *cumbō Latin succumbere Old French succomberbor. English succumb From Old French succomber, from Latin succumbō. 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 "succumb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Susanna#26,988tagline#26,992thirdly#26,995solicit#26,968

Similar misspelling depth

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

slough9 variantssignup9 variantstruffle9 variantsRudolf9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list