pish

/pɪʃ/

//pɪʃ// intj

"pish" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pish” is an uncommon English word, ranked #63,143 in English word frequency and used as an interjection.

#63,143
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Expressing disdain.

Key facts for pish
PropertyValue
Headwordpish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA/pɪʃ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#63,143
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pish” 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). pish lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pish is 4 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #63,143 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Expressing disdain.".

pish has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Expressive; perhaps partly from Scots pish (“piss”). The correct English form is pish, spelled P-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Expressing disdain.

Etymology

Expressive; perhaps partly from Scots pish (“piss”).

Synonyms

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 "pish"?
"pish" is spelled P-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪʃ/.
What does "pish" mean?
As an interjection, "pish" means: Expressing disdain.
How do you pronounce "pish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pish" is /pɪʃ/. 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 "pish"?
Expressive; perhaps partly from Scots pish (“piss”). 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 “pish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɪʃ/ (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