scrub

/skɹʌb/

//skɹʌb// adj

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

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

The verdict

“scrub” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,457. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,457
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scrub · scrub · English

scrub · rank #11,457 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,457
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH scotch

Nearest frequency peer: scotch (-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 “scrub”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “scrub” 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).

scrub vs sub
60% similar
scrub vs scum
60% similar
scrub vs Serb
40% similar

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

Key facts for scrub
PropertyValue
Headwordscrub
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/skɹʌb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,457
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “scrub”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).scrublands 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 “scotch” (#11,456), “separating” (#11,458), “scoop” (#11,455). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “scrub” is #11,457. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around scrub (IPA /skɹʌb/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,457 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for scrub, with forms such as "csrub", "sccrub", and "scrbu". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sub", "scum", "Serb", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence. The correct English form is scrub, spelled S-C-R-U-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. How solitary, how scrub, does this town look!
  2. No little scrub joint shall come on my board.

Etymology

Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csrub
  • sccrub
  • scrbu
  • scrrub
  • scrubb
  • scurb
  • srcub
  • sscrub

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csrub2sccrub1scrbu2scrrub1scrubb1scurb2srcub2sscrub1
Edit distance from "scrub"

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 "scrub"?
"scrub" is spelled S-C-R-U-B. The IPA pronunciation is /skɹʌb/.
What does "scrub" mean?
As an adjective, "scrub" means: Mean; dirty; contemptible; scrubby.
What words are commonly confused with "scrub"?
"scrub" is commonly confused with "sub", "scum", "Serb". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scrub"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scrub" is /skɹʌb/. 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 "scrub"?
Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence. 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 "scrub", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

scoop#11,455shale#11,460rabbi#11,447titan#11,483

Similar misspelling depth

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

poetic8 variantsplaque8 variantsboiled8 variantsByron8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list