# itch

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #18,113

## Definitions
1. A sensation felt on an area of the skin that causes a person or animal to want to scratch said area.
2. A constant teasing desire or want.

## Etymology
From Middle English icche, ȝicche, from Old English ġiċċe (“an itch”), from Proto-Germanic *jukjǭ (“an itch”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots yeuk (“an itch, itchiness”), Dutch jeuk (“an itch”), German jucken.

## Easily confused with
- **its** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-its)
- **itt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-itt)
- **IWC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-iwc)
- **ith** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-ith)
- **item** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-item)
- **itty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-itty)
- **itchy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/itch-vs-itchy)
- **it** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/it-vs-itch)
- **IC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ic-vs-itch)
- **IH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ih-vs-itch)
- **ice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ice-vs-itch)
- **inc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inc-vs-itch)
- **ICC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/icc-vs-itch)
- **icy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/icy-vs-itch)
- **ICT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ict-vs-itch)
- **ICU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/icu-vs-itch)
- **IOC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ioc-vs-itch)
- **ich** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ich-vs-itch)
- **ICO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ico-vs-itch)
- **IDC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/idc-vs-itch)

## Common misspellings (6)
`icth`, `itcch`, `itchh`, `ithc`, `ittch`, `tich`

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