devilish

/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/

//ˈdɛvəlɪʃ// adj

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

"devilish" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“devilish” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,256 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#35,256
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Resembling a devil.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

devilish vs devils
75% similar
devilish vs demolish
75% similar

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

Key facts for devilish
PropertyValue
Headworddevilish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#35,256
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “devilish” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). devilish lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for devilish is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,256 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for devilish, with forms such as "ddevilish", "deivlish", and "deviilsh". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "devils", "demolish", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English develissh, develyssh, equivalent to devil + -ish. Cognate with Saterland Frisian düvelsk, düüwelsk (“devilish”), West Frisian duvelsk (“devilish”), Dutch duivels (“devilish”), German Low German düvelsk (“devilish”), German teuflisch (“de… The correct English form is devilish, spelled D-E-V-I-L-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Resembling a devil.
  2. 2
    Evil, wicked.
  3. 3
    Roguish or mischievous.
  4. 4
    Excessive, extreme.

Etymology

From Middle English develissh, develyssh, equivalent to devil + -ish. Cognate with Saterland Frisian düvelsk, düüwelsk (“devilish”), West Frisian duvelsk (“devilish”), Dutch duivels (“devilish”), German Low German düvelsk (“devilish”), German teuflisch (“devilish”), Danish djævelsk (“devilish”), Swedish djävulsk (“devilish”), Norwegian djevelsk (“devilish”).

This word in other languages

diabólico(Español)diabolique(Français)teuflisch(Deutsch)extremo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddevilish,deivlish,deviilsh,devilihs,devilishh,devilissh,devillish,devilsih,devliish,devvilish,dveilish,edvilish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddevilish1deivlish2deviilsh2devilihs2devilishh1devilissh1devillish1devilsih2
Edit distance from "devilish"

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 "devilish"?
"devilish" is spelled D-E-V-I-L-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/.
What does "devilish" mean?
As an adjective, "devilish" means: Resembling a devil.
What words are commonly confused with "devilish"?
"devilish" is commonly confused with "devils", "demolish". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "devilish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "devilish" is /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/. 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 "devilish"?
From Middle English develissh, develyssh, equivalent to devil + -ish. Cognate with Saterland Frisian düvelsk, düüwelsk (“devilish”), West Frisian duvelsk (“devilish”), Dutch duivels (“devilish”), German Low German düvelsk (“devilish”), German teuf... 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 “devilish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-V-I-L-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “devils” - see the side-by-side comparison. devilish vs devils
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list