keyed

/kiːd/

//kiːd// verb

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

The verdict

“keyed” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,301. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,301
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - simple past and past participle of key

Corpus desk

Index EN-keyed · keyed · English

keyed · rank #33,301 · 7 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,301
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH knighthood

Nearest frequency peer: knighthood (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “keyed”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “keyed” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

keyed vs keys
60% similar
keyed vs Keyes
60% similar
keyed vs Keynes
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for keyed
PropertyValue
Headwordkeyed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kiːd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#33,301
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “keyed”

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).keyedlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “knighthood” (#33,302), “Keanu” (#33,299), “kryptonite” (#33,303). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “keyed” is #33,301. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around keyed (IPA /kiːd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #33,301 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Dominant gloss: "simple past and past participle of key".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for keyed, with forms such as "ekyed", "keeyd", and "keyde". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "keys", "Keyes", "Keynes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: * (praiseworthy and admirable): Coined by 4chan users upset at the widened usage of based (“praiseworthy and admirable, particularly in a perceived countercultural sense”) outside of their community. Most likely simply from the verb key; in slang perhaps co… The correct English form is keyed, spelled K-E-Y-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of key

Etymology

* (praiseworthy and admirable): Coined by 4chan users upset at the widened usage of based (“praiseworthy and admirable, particularly in a perceived countercultural sense”) outside of their community. Most likely simply from the verb key; in slang perhaps connected to the "securing" action of a lock and key (compare e.g. scored).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ekyed
  • keeyd
  • keyde
  • keyedd
  • keyyed
  • kkeyed
  • kyeed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of keyed - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ekyed2keeyd2keyde2keyedd1keyyed1kkeyed1kyeed2
Edit distance from "keyed"

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 "keyed"?
"keyed" is spelled K-E-Y-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /kiːd/.
What does "keyed" mean?
As a verb, "keyed" means: simple past and past participle of key
What words are commonly confused with "keyed"?
"keyed" is commonly confused with "keys", "Keyes", "Keynes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "keyed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "keyed" is /kiːd/. 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 "keyed"?
* (praiseworthy and admirable): Coined by 4chan users upset at the widened usage of based (“praiseworthy and admirable, particularly in a perceived countercultural sense”) outside of their community. Most likely simply from the verb key; in slang ... 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 "keyed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list