selfish

/ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/

//ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ// adj

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

"selfish" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“selfish” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,009. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,009
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making.

Corpus desk

Index EN-selfish · selfish · English

selfish · rank #6,009 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,009
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH restoration

Nearest frequency peer: restoration (-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 “selfish”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “selfish” 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).

selfish vs shellfish
78% similar
selfish vs selfishly
78% similar
selfish vs selfie
71% similar

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

Key facts for selfish
PropertyValue
Headwordselfish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,009
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “selfish”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).selfishlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “restoration” (#6,008), “sergeant” (#6,010), “respected” (#6,007). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “selfish” is #6,009. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around selfish (IPA /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,009 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for selfish, with forms such as "eslfish", "seflish", and "selffish". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "shellfish", "selfishly", "selfie", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”). The correct English form is selfish, spelled S-E-L-F-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making.
  2. 2
    Having excessive or exclusive regard and concern for one's own well-being, profit or pleasure, with little or no consideration for others.
  3. 3
    Of video game characters: relying on their own actions and capabilities to be effective in the game, rather than on other characters.
  4. 4
    Related to or equivalent to a selfish gene; best understood as existing to preserve and replicate itself in competition with other entities at the same level of existence, rather than at the level of the individual or population containing it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “We all have both a selfish separate self, and an Inner Being that is One with the Universal Spirit. In this sense, every human has a sort of ‘split personality’. We are all kind of what you call ‘schitzy’ with these two sides, these two people living within us. And they are in total opposition. The free will dictates which of these two sides will have it…
  2. Take warning by my fate, and shun that flowery and bewitching path; for in its labyrinths the good, the gentle, the kind-hearted, and the benevolent, are too often lost; while the sordid and the selfish scarcely so much as run a hazard.

Etymology

From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”).

Synonyms

egocentricegoisticalevery man for himselfidiocentricindividualisticinterestedporkishreptilianselfishselflikeselfsomeself-absorbedself-centeredself-interestedself-mindedself-seekingself-servingsolipsistic

Antonyms

self-abnegatory

This word in other languages

egoísta(Español)égoïste(Français)egoistisch(Deutsch)egoísta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eslfish
  • seflish
  • selffish
  • selfihs
  • selfishh
  • selfissh
  • selfsih
  • selifsh
  • sellfish
  • slefish
  • sselfish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of selfish - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eslfish2seflish2selffish1selfihs2selfishh1selfissh1selfsih2selifsh2
Edit distance from "selfish"

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 "selfish"?
"selfish" is spelled S-E-L-F-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛlf.ɪʃ/.
What does "selfish" mean?
As an adjective, "selfish" means: Holding one's own self-interest as the standard for decision making.
What words are commonly confused with "selfish"?
"selfish" is commonly confused with "shellfish", "selfishly", "selfie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "selfish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "selfish" is /ˈsɛlf.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 "selfish"?
From self + -ish. Compare Danish selvisk (“selfish”), Swedish självisk (“selfish”). 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 "selfish", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

wasting#6,018bridges#6,029nearest#5,986centres#6,033

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

overview11 variantslasting11 variantshurting11 variantsharmony11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list