at sixes and sevens

prep_phrase

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

"at-sixes-and-sevens" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“at sixes and sevens” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
19
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a state of confusion.

Key facts for at sixes and sevens
PropertyValue
Headwordat sixes and sevens
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters19
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “at sixes and sevens” sits in English frequency

at sixes and sevens falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

at sixes and sevens is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for at sixes and sevens, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier on six and seven, from Middle English on sixe and sevene, of unknown origin, though it may have originated from the game of hazard and the Old French cinc (“five”) and sis (“six”), the riskiest numbers to shoot for, which were misheard and folk… The correct English form is at sixes and sevens, spelled A-T- -S-I-X-E-S- -A-N-D- -S-E-V-E-N-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a state of confusion.
  2. 2
    In a state of dispute or disagreement.

Etymology

From earlier on six and seven, from Middle English on sixe and sevene, of unknown origin, though it may have originated from the game of hazard and the Old French cinc (“five”) and sis (“six”), the riskiest numbers to shoot for, which were misheard and folk-etymologized into English as "six" and "seven".

This word in other languages

largué(Français)sich in den Haaren liegen(Deutsch)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "at sixes and sevens"?
"at sixes and sevens" is spelled A-T- -S-I-X-E-S- -A-N-D- -S-E-V-E-N-S.
What does "at sixes and sevens" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "at sixes and sevens" means: In a state of confusion.
What is the origin of the word "at sixes and sevens"?
From earlier on six and seven, from Middle English on sixe and sevene, of unknown origin, though it may have originated from the game of hazard and the Old French cinc (“five”) and sis (“six”), the riskiest numbers to shoot for, which were mishear... 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 “at sixes and sevens”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T- -S-I-X-E-S- -A-N-D- -S-E-V-E-N-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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