ordeal

/ɔːˈdiːl/

//ɔːˈdiːl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ordeal” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,671. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,671
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test (such as ducking in water), divine authority deciding the guilt of the accused.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ordeal · ordeal · English

ordeal · rank #15,671 · 8 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,671
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH onstage

Nearest frequency peer: onstage (-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 “ordeal”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ordeal” 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).

ordeal vs order
67% similar
ordeal vs oreal
83% similar
ordeal vs orders
67% similar

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

Key facts for ordeal
PropertyValue
Headwordordeal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɔːˈdiːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#15,671
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ordeal”

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).ordeallands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “onstage” (#15,670), “ox” (#15,672), “notation” (#15,669). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “ordeal” is #15,671. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around ordeal (IPA /ɔːˈdiːl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,671 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for ordeal, with forms such as "odreal", "ordael", and "orddeal". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "order", "oreal", "orders", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ordel, ordal, from Medieval Latin ordālium or inherited from its source Old English ordēl, ordāl (“ordeal, judgement”), from Proto-West Germanic *uʀdailī (“judgement”, literally “an out-dealing”), from *uʀdailijan (“to deal out; dispense… The correct English form is ordeal, spelled O-R-D-E-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test (such as ducking in water), divine authority deciding the guilt of the accused.
  2. 2
    A painful or trying experience.
  3. 3
    The poisonous ordeal bean or Calabar bean.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. trial by ordeal
  2. “And do you realize that in a few shakes I've got to show up at dinner and have Mrs Cream being very, very kind to me? It hurts the pride of the Woosters, Jeeves.” “My advice, sir, would be to fortify yourself for the ordeal.” “How?” “There are always cocktails, sir. Should I pour you another?” “You should.”

Etymology

From Middle English ordel, ordal, from Medieval Latin ordālium or inherited from its source Old English ordēl, ordāl (“ordeal, judgement”), from Proto-West Germanic *uʀdailī (“judgement”, literally “an out-dealing”), from *uʀdailijan (“to deal out; dispense”). For more, see Old English or-, English deal. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Uurdeel (“judgement; verdict”), West Frisian oardiel (“judgement”), Dutch oordeel (“judgement, discretion”), Low German Oordeel (“judgement; verdict”), German Urteil (“judgement, verdict”).

This word in other languages

ordalía(Español)ordalie(Français)Gottesurteil(Deutsch)calvário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • odreal
  • ordael
  • orddeal
  • ordeall
  • ordela
  • oredal
  • orrdeal
  • rodeal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

odreal2ordael2orddeal1ordeall1ordela2oredal2orrdeal1rodeal2
Edit distance from "ordeal"

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 "ordeal"?
"ordeal" is spelled O-R-D-E-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɔːˈdiːl/.
What does "ordeal" mean?
As a noun, "ordeal" means: A trial in which the accused was subjected to a dangerous test (such as ducking in water), divine authority deciding the guilt of the accused.
What words are commonly confused with "ordeal"?
"ordeal" is commonly confused with "order", "oreal", "orders". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ordeal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ordeal" is /ɔːˈdiːl/. 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 "ordeal"?
From Middle English ordel, ordal, from Medieval Latin ordālium or inherited from its source Old English ordēl, ordāl (“ordeal, judgement”), from Proto-West Germanic *uʀdailī (“judgement”, literally “an out-dealing”), from *uʀdailijan (“to deal out... 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 "ordeal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

piston#15,677Miriam#15,662pollen#15,680mercer#15,659

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

plugs8 variantsJavier8 variantsswung8 variantsteaser8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list