askew
/əˈskjuː/adjective, adverb
askew is spelled A-S-K-E-W: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, askew means “Turned or twisted to one side” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in askew?
| Letters | 5: A-S-K-E-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is askew?
Askew appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce askew?
- /əˈskju/
- UK /əˈskjuː/
- British /əˈskjʉw/
Askew has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-askew.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-askew.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with askew?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as askew from its last stressed vowel (/u/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of askew
- askue
- ascue
- askoye
- a skew
- more askew comparative
- most askew superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does askew mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Turned or twisted to one side.
- 2
Untoward, unfavourable.
adverb
- 1
Tilted to one side.
He wore his hat askew
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Askew in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense turned or twisted to one side:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | de travers, de guingois, de traviole, oblique, incliné, penché |
| German | schief, verzogen, verwunden, verbogen, quer, schräg |
| Portuguese | torto |
| Spanish | torcido, oblicuo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does askew come from?
From a- + skew.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).