cursed

/ˈkɜːsɪd/

//ˈkɜːsɪd// adj

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

"cursed" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cursed” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,028. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,028
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Under some divine harm, malady, or other curse.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cursed · cursed · English

cursed · rank #10,028 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,028
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH credible

Nearest frequency peer: credible (-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 “cursed”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cursed” 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).

cursed vs curve
67% similar
cursed vs curves
67% similar
cursed vs curved
83% similar

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

Key facts for cursed
PropertyValue
Headwordcursed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkɜːsɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,028
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cursed”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).cursedlands 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 “credible” (#10,027), “crawl” (#10,026), “DB” (#10,030). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cursed” is #10,028. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around cursed (IPA /ˈkɜːsɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,028 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for cursed, with forms such as "ccursed", "crused", and "curesd". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "curve", "curves", "curved", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cursed, cursd, curst, corsed, curset, cursyd, equivalent to curse + -ed. The correct English form is cursed, spelled C-U-R-S-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Under some divine harm, malady, or other curse.
  2. 2
    Shrewish, ill-tempered (often applied to women).
  3. 3
    hateful; damnable; accursed
  4. 4
    Frightening or unsettling, or humorously portrayed as such.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Leonato By my troth neece thou wilt neuer get thee a huſband, if thou be ſo ſhrewd of thy tongue. / brother Infaith ſhees too curſt. / Beatrice Too curſt is more then curſt, I ſhall leſſen Gods ſending that way, for it is ſaide, God ſends a curſt cow ſhort hornes, but to a cow too curſt, he ſends none.
  2. That cursed bird keeps stealing my milk!

Etymology

From Middle English cursed, cursd, curst, corsed, curset, cursyd, equivalent to curse + -ed.

This word in other languages

maldito(Español)maudit(Français)verflucht(Deutsch)maldito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccursed
  • crused
  • curesd
  • currsed
  • cursde
  • cursedd
  • curssed
  • cusred
  • ucrsed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cursed - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ccursed1crused2curesd2currsed1cursde2cursedd1curssed1cusred2
Edit distance from "cursed"

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 "cursed"?
"cursed" is spelled C-U-R-S-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɜːsɪd/.
What does "cursed" mean?
As an adjective, "cursed" means: Under some divine harm, malady, or other curse.
What words are commonly confused with "cursed"?
"cursed" is commonly confused with "curve", "curves", "curved". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cursed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cursed" is /ˈkɜːsɪd/. 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 "cursed"?
From Middle English cursed, cursd, curst, corsed, curset, cursyd, equivalent to curse + -ed. 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 "cursed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Connor#10,020doomed#10,038felony#10,047floral#10,050

Similar misspelling depth

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

busted9 variantsbiting9 variantsHammond9 variantsVernon9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list