as it were
"as-it-were" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“as it were” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, it, were.
Corpus desk
Index EN-as-it-were · as it were · English
as it were · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | as it were |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “as it were” in English
Rare enough to double-check
as it were is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for as it were in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English as it were, as hyt were, als it were, als hit were, from Old English *ealswā hit wǣre, attested only as swā hit wǣre and swylċe hit wǣre (“as it were”, literally “as it would be”). Compare Dutch als het ware. The correct English form is as it were, spelled A-S- -I-T- -W-E-R-E.
Definition
- 1Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see as, it, were.
- 2Used to indicate that a word or statement is perhaps not exact though practically right; as if it were so.
- 3Used to draw attention to the use of a metaphor, sometimes to prevent confusion or to highlight wordplay.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how as it were appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
With so much construction and renovation going on all around him, he was more or less living in a new city now, as it were. [His city is not newly founded, and it has been neither renamed nor moved, but in some practical way it is true that he does not live in the same city that he used to live in.]
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the ſtrength of an Vnicorne.
Etymology
From Middle English as it were, as hyt were, als it were, als hit were, from Old English *ealswā hit wǣre, attested only as swā hit wǣre and swylċe hit wǣre (“as it were”, literally “as it would be”). Compare Dutch als het ware.
This word in other languages
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.