askew

/əˈskju/

//əˈskju// adj

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

"askew" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“askew” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,561. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,561
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Turned or twisted to one side.

Corpus desk

Index EN-askew · askew · English

askew · rank #40,561 · 7 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,561
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ashtray

Nearest frequency peer: ashtray (-2 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 “askew”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “askew” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

askew vs asks
60% similar
askew vs asset
60% similar
askew vs asses
60% similar

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

Key facts for askew
PropertyValue
Headwordaskew
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈskju/
Letters5
Frequency rank#40,561
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “askew”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).askewlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “ashtray” (#40,559), “Assyria” (#40,563), “Astana” (#40,564). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “askew” is #40,561. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around askew (IPA /əˈskju/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,561 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for askew, with forms such as "aksew", "asekw", and "askeww". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "asks", "asset", "asses", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old Norse á ská (“askew, askance”), equivalent to a- + skew. Compare Icelandic á ská (“diagonally”), Danish skrå (“slanting, oblique”), German Schräge (“slope, slant”). The correct English form is askew, spelled A-S-K-E-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Turned or twisted to one side.
  2. 2
    Untoward, unfavourable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Here Shenandoah brawls along, there burly Blue Ridge echoes strong, to swell the Brigade's rousing song, of "Stonewall Jackson’s Way." We see him now — the old slouched hat cocked o'er his eye askew, the shrewd, dry smile, the speech so pat, so calm, so blunt, so true.

Etymology

From Old Norse á ská (“askew, askance”), equivalent to a- + skew. Compare Icelandic á ská (“diagonally”), Danish skrå (“slanting, oblique”), German Schräge (“slope, slant”).

Synonyms

agleyakilterantigoglinawryaskewcattywampuscockeyedcrookedlopsidedoff-kiltertipsyskewampusskew-whiffsquiffywhomperjawedwry

Antonyms

straighttrue

This word in other languages

torcido(Español)de travers(Français)schief(Deutsch)torto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aksew
  • asekw
  • askeww
  • askkew
  • askwe
  • asskew
  • sakew

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aksew2asekw2askeww1askkew1askwe2asskew1sakew2
Edit distance from "askew"

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 "askew"?
"askew" is spelled A-S-K-E-W. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈskju/.
What does "askew" mean?
As an adjective, "askew" means: Turned or twisted to one side.
What words are commonly confused with "askew"?
"askew" is commonly confused with "asks", "asset", "asses". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "askew"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "askew" is /əˈskju/. 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 "askew"?
From Old Norse á ská (“askew, askance”), equivalent to a- + skew. Compare Icelandic á ská (“diagonally”), Danish skrå (“slanting, oblique”), German Schräge (“slope, slant”). 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 "askew", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

agora#40,543bicep#40,582Bligh#40,584Brest#40,592

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

baffle7 variantsBaguio7 variantsBelles7 variantsAcadia7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list