eldritch

/ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/

//ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“eldritch” is uncommon English (frequency #63,588 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,588
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eldritch · eldritch · English

eldritch · rank #63,588 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,588
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH electroplating

Nearest frequency peer: electroplating (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “eldritch”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “eldritch” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for eldritch
PropertyValue
Headwordeldritch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#63,588
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “eldritch” in English

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).eldritchfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “electroplating” (#63,589), “Eliezer” (#63,590), “effectual” (#63,585). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eldritch” is #63,588. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

eldritch is uncommon English at frequency #63,588 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for eldritch, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other” (related… The correct English form is eldritch, spelled E-L-D-R-I-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. So Maggie runs, the witches follow, / Wi' mony an eldritch ſkreech and hollow.
  2. I look'd upon the rotting Sea, / And drew my eyes away; / I look'd upon the eldritch deck / And there the dead men lay.

Etymology

From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other” (related to Old English ellende and modern English else); others think that it derives from elf. It was reintroduced into popular literature by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.

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 "eldritch"?
"eldritch" is spelled E-L-D-R-I-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/.
What does "eldritch" mean?
As an adjective, "eldritch" means: Unearthly, supernatural, eerie, preternatural.
How do you pronounce "eldritch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eldritch" is /ˈɛl.dɹɪt͡ʃ/. 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 "eldritch"?
From the earlier form elritch, of uncertain origin. The second element, -ritch, is generally taken to be Old English rīċe (“realm, kingdom”). Some think that the first element, el-, derives from an Old English root meaning “foreign, strange, other... 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 "eldritch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Emiliano#63,593Eastland#63,580endorser#63,596entendre#63,598

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list