eldest

/ˈɛldɪst/

//ˈɛldɪst// adj

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

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

The verdict

“eldest” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,372. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,372
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - superlative form of old: most old; greatest in age or seniority.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eldest · eldest · English

eldest · rank #11,372 · 9 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,372
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH drained

Nearest frequency peer: drained (-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 “eldest”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “eldest” 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).

eldest vs elect
67% similar
eldest vs elves
67% similar
eldest vs Ernest
50% similar

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

Key facts for eldest
PropertyValue
Headwordeldest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɛldɪst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,372
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “eldest”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “drained” (#11,371), “emphasize” (#11,373), “DOS” (#11,370). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eldest” is #11,372. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around eldest (IPA /ˈɛldɪst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,372 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "superlative form of old: most old; greatest in age or seniority.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for eldest, with forms such as "edlest", "elddest", and "eldesst". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "elect", "elves", "Ernest", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is eldest, spelled E-L-D-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    superlative form of old: most old; greatest in age or seniority.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The eldest son was usually given the name of his paternal grandfather, later children those of other relatives.

Synonyms

oldest

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • edlest
  • elddest
  • eldesst
  • eldestt
  • eldets
  • eldset
  • eledst
  • elldest
  • ledest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of eldest - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

edlest2elddest1eldesst1eldestt1eldets2eldset2eledst2elldest1
Edit distance from "eldest"

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 "eldest"?
"eldest" is spelled E-L-D-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛldɪst/.
What does "eldest" mean?
As an adjective, "eldest" means: superlative form of old: most old; greatest in age or seniority.
What words are commonly confused with "eldest"?
"eldest" is commonly confused with "elect", "elves", "Ernest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eldest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eldest" is /ˈɛldɪst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "eldest" come from?
"eldest" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "eldest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Exodus#11,376coated#11,358ghetto#11,389bumper#11,351

Similar misspelling depth

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

Cornell9 variantsmidway9 variantswhipped9 variantsWesley9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list