-ish

/ɪʃ/

//ɪʃ// suffix

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

"ish" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“-ish” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a suffix - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Typical of, similar to, being like.

Key facts for -ish
PropertyValue
Headword-ish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechSuffix
IPA/ɪʃ/
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “-ish” sits in English frequency

-ish falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for -ish is 4 letters long, classified as a suffix, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪʃ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for -ish in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English -ish, -isch, from Old English -isċ (“-ish”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos. Cognate with Dutch -s; German -isch (whence Dutch -isch); Norwegian, Danish, and… The correct English form is -ish, spelled --I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Typical of, similar to, being like.
  2. 2
    Somewhat, rather.
  3. 3
    About, approximately.
  4. 4
    Of, belonging, or relating to (a nationality, place, language or similar association with something).

Etymology

From Middle English -ish, -isch, from Old English -isċ (“-ish”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos. Cognate with Dutch -s; German -isch (whence Dutch -isch); Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish -isk or -sk; Lithuanian -iškas; Russian -ский (-skij); and the Ancient Greek diminutive suffix -ίσκος (-ískos). Doublet of -esque and -ski.

Synonyms

quasi-para--oid-form-iform-esque-ly-some-y-ass-like

This word in other languages

-ico(Español)-âtre(Français)-haft(Deutsch)-ico(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "-ish"?
"-ish" is spelled --I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪʃ/.
What does "-ish" mean?
As a suffix, "-ish" means: Typical of, similar to, being like.
How do you pronounce "-ish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "-ish" is /ɪʃ/. 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 "-ish"?
From Middle English -ish, -isch, from Old English -isċ (“-ish”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos. Cognate with Dutch -s; German -isch (whence Dutch -isch); Norwegian, D... 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 “-ish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is --I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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