# eerie

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈɪəɹi/ · frequency rank #18,811

## Definitions
1. Inspiring fear, especially in a mysterious or shadowy way; strange, weird.
2. Frightened, timid.

## Etymology
From Middle English eri (“fearful”), from Old English earg (“cowardly, fearful”), from Proto-West Germanic *arg, from Proto-Germanic *argaz. Akin to Scots ergh, argh from the same Old English source. Doublet of argh.

## Easily confused with
- **ere** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-ere)
- **Eri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-eri)
- **eric** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-eric)
- **Erik** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-erik)
- **Erin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-erin)
- **eyre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-eyre)
- **Evie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-evie)
- **Elie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-elie)
- **Ellie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-ellie)
- **ERNIE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-ernie)
- **Elsie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-elsie)
- **Effie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-effie)
- **emerge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-emerge)
- **eerily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eerie-vs-eerily)
- **eee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eee-vs-eerie)
- **Edie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/edie-vs-eerie)
- **Eddie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eddie-vs-eerie)
- **Earle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/earle-vs-eerie)

## Common misspellings (5)
`eeire`, `eerei`, `eerrie`, `ereie`, `erie`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/eerie