quizzical

/ˈkwɪzɪkəl/

//ˈkwɪzɪkəl// adj

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

"quizzical" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quizzical” is uncommon English (frequency #77,119 among 2,880 “Q” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,119
frequency rank, English
2,880
“Q” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Questioning or suggesting puzzlement.

Key facts for quizzical
PropertyValue
Headwordquizzical
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkwɪzɪkəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#77,119
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quizzical” 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). quizzical 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

quizzical is uncommon English at frequency #77,119 among 2,880 “Q” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for quizzical, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From quiz + -ical. The correct English form is quizzical, spelled Q-U-I-Z-Z-I-C-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Questioning or suggesting puzzlement.
  2. 2
    Strange or eccentric.
  3. 3
    Jocose; humorous.

Etymology

From quiz + -ical.

Synonyms

quizzicquizzish

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 "quizzical"?
"quizzical" is spelled Q-U-I-Z-Z-I-C-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/.
What does "quizzical" mean?
As an adjective, "quizzical" means: Questioning or suggesting puzzlement.
How do you pronounce "quizzical"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quizzical" is /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/. 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 "quizzical"?
From quiz + -ical. 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 “quizzical”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Q-U-I-Z-Z-I-C-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this 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