keeled

/ˈkiːld/

//ˈkiːld// verb

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

The verdict

“keeled” is uncommon English (frequency #52,430 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,430
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of keel

Corpus desk

Index EN-keeled · keeled · English

keeled · rank #52,430 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,430
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 9,255
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kilbride

Nearest frequency peer: Kilbride (+3 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “keeled”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “keeled” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for keeled
PropertyValue
Headwordkeeled
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkiːld/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,430
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “keeled” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

keeled is uncommon English at frequency #52,430 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkiːld/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "simple past and past participle of keel".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for keeled, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is keeled, spelled K-E-E-L-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of keel

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "keeled"?
"keeled" is spelled K-E-E-L-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkiːld/.
What does "keeled" mean?
As a verb, "keeled" means: simple past and past participle of keel
How do you pronounce "keeled"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "keeled" is /ˈkiːld/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "keeled" come from?
"keeled" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 "keeled", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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