Scottish

/ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/

//ˈskɒt.ɪʃ// adj

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

"scottish" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Scottish” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,501 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,501
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a thing or concept, of or pertaining to Scotland.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Scottish vs skittish
63% similar
Scottish vs Scottie
75% similar

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

Key facts for Scottish
PropertyValue
HeadwordScottish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,501
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Scottish” 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). Scottish 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 Scottish is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,501 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Scottish, with forms such as "csottish", "sccottish", and "scotish". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "skittish", "Scottie", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Scottich, from Old English Sċyttisċ, equivalent to Scot + -ish. Compare West Frisian Skotsk (“Scottish”), Dutch Schots (“Scottish”), German schottisch (“Scottish”), Danish skotsk (“Scottish”), Icelandic skoskur (“Scottish”). Doublet of S… The correct English form is Scottish, spelled S-C-O-T-T-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a thing or concept, of or pertaining to Scotland.
  2. 2
    Of a person, native to, born in or whose ancestors originally came from Scotland.

Etymology

From Middle English Scottich, from Old English Sċyttisċ, equivalent to Scot + -ish. Compare West Frisian Skotsk (“Scottish”), Dutch Schots (“Scottish”), German schottisch (“Scottish”), Danish skotsk (“Scottish”), Icelandic skoskur (“Scottish”). Doublet of Scotch and Scot.

This word in other languages

escocés(Español)écossais(Français)schottisch(Deutsch)escocês(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: csottish,sccottish,scotish,scotitsh,scottihs,scottishh,scottissh,scottsih,sctotish,socttish,sscottish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csottish2sccottish1scotish1scotitsh2scottihs2scottishh1scottissh1scottsih2
Edit distance from "Scottish"

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 "Scottish"?
"Scottish" is spelled S-C-O-T-T-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/.
What does "Scottish" mean?
As an adjective, "Scottish" means: Of a thing or concept, of or pertaining to Scotland.
What words are commonly confused with "Scottish"?
"Scottish" is commonly confused with "skittish", "Scottie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Scottish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Scottish" is /ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/. 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 "Scottish"?
From Middle English Scottich, from Old English Sċyttisċ, equivalent to Scot + -ish. Compare West Frisian Skotsk (“Scottish”), Dutch Schots (“Scottish”), German schottisch (“Scottish”), Danish skotsk (“Scottish”), Icelandic skoskur (“Scottish”). Do... 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 “Scottish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-C-O-T-T-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈskɒt.ɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “skittish” - see the side-by-side comparison. Scottish vs skittish
  • 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