self-willed
"self-willed" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“self-willed” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Obstinate; strong-minded; unyielding to the desires, concern or opinions of others.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | self-willed |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “self-willed” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for self-willed is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
self-willed has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English selfe-willed, selwillyd, equivalent to self- + willed. Compare Middle English onwille, anewil (“selfwilled, stubborn”), from Old English ānwille (literally “one-willed, one's own-willed, self-willed”). The correct English form is self-willed, spelled S-E-L-F---W-I-L-L-E-D.
Definition
- 1Obstinate; strong-minded; unyielding to the desires, concern or opinions of others.
- 2Possessing self-will; determined to pursue one's own desires or adhere to one's own opinion..
Etymology
From Middle English selfe-willed, selwillyd, equivalent to self- + willed. Compare Middle English onwille, anewil (“selfwilled, stubborn”), from Old English ānwille (literally “one-willed, one's own-willed, self-willed”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “self-willed”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-E-L-F---W-I-L-L-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.