filch

/fɪlt͡ʃ/

//fɪlt͡ʃ// verb

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

"filch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“filch” is uncommon English (frequency #98,116 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,116
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-filch · filch · English

filch · rank #98,116 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,116
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fiddlesticks

Nearest frequency peer: fiddlesticks (-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 “filch”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for filch
PropertyValue
Headwordfilch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fɪlt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#98,116
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “filch” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).filchfalls 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: “fiddlesticks” (#98,115), “ferrule” (#98,114), “Finan” (#98,118). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “filch” is #98,116. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

filch is uncommon English at frequency #98,116 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /fɪlt͡ʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal.".

No misspelling variants are generated for filch in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English filchen (“to pilfer, steal”). The further origin of the word is uncertain, but it is likely from or related to Old English fylċian (“to marshal troops”) and Old English ġefylċe (“band of men, army, host”), which would make it also relate… The correct English form is filch, spelled F-I-L-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Hey, someone filched my wallet!
  2. You would foiſt in non cauſam pro cauſa ["I do not bring into question"], have it thought your flight from your olde companions, obſcuritie and ſilence, was onely, with Æneas, to carry your father on your backe through the fire of ſlaunder, and by that shift, with the false plea of patience, unjuſtly driven from his kingdome, filch a way the harts of the…

Etymology

From Middle English filchen (“to pilfer, steal”). The further origin of the word is uncertain, but it is likely from or related to Old English fylċian (“to marshal troops”) and Old English ġefylċe (“band of men, army, host”), which would make it also related to folk.

This word in other languages

hurtar(Español)stehlen(Deutsch)

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 "filch"?
"filch" is spelled F-I-L-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /fɪlt͡ʃ/.
What does "filch" mean?
As a verb, "filch" means: To illegally take possession of (something, especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal.
How do you pronounce "filch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "filch" is /fɪlt͡ʃ/. 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 "filch"?
From Middle English filchen (“to pilfer, steal”). The further origin of the word is uncertain, but it is likely from or related to Old English fylċian (“to marshal troops”) and Old English ġefylċe (“band of men, army, host”), which would make it a... 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 "filch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Finan#98,118finny#98,119Fawzi#98,109Fripp#98,138

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list