shallow

/ˈʃæl.oʊ/

//ˈʃæl.oʊ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“shallow” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,733 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,733
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

shallow vs shalom
71% similar
shallow vs swallow
86% similar
shallow vs shallows
88% similar

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

Key facts for shallow
PropertyValue
Headwordshallow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈʃæl.oʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,733
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shallow” 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). shallow 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 shallow is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃæl.oʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,733 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for shallow, with forms such as "hsallow", "sahllow", and "shalloww". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "shalom", "swallow", "shallows", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English schalowe (“not deep, shallow”); apparently related to Middle English schalde, schold, scheld, schealde (“shallow”), from Old English sċeald (“shallow”), from Proto-Germanic *skal-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, dry out”… The correct English form is shallow, spelled S-H-A-L-L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.
  2. 2
    Extending not far downward.
  3. 3
    Concerned mainly with superficial matters.
  4. 4
    Lacking interest or substance; flat; one-dimensional.
  5. 5
    Not intellectually deep; not penetrating deeply; simple; not wise or knowing.
  6. 6
    Not deep in tone.
  7. 7
    Not far forward, close to the net.
  8. 8
    Not steep; close to horizontal.

Etymology

From Middle English schalowe (“not deep, shallow”); apparently related to Middle English schalde, schold, scheld, schealde (“shallow”), from Old English sċeald (“shallow”), from Proto-Germanic *skal-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, dry out”). Related to Low German Scholl (“shallow water”). See also shoal.

Synonyms

shallowsuperficial

Antonyms

deep

This word in other languages

playo(Español)superficiel(Français)flach(Deutsch)raso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsallow,sahllow,shalloww,shallwo,shalolw,shalow,shhallow,shlalow,sshallow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hsallow2sahllow2shalloww1shallwo2shalolw2shalow1shhallow1shlalow2
Edit distance from "shallow"

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 "shallow"?
"shallow" is spelled S-H-A-L-L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃæl.oʊ/.
What does "shallow" mean?
As an adjective, "shallow" means: Having little depth; significantly less deep than wide.
What words are commonly confused with "shallow"?
"shallow" is commonly confused with "shalom", "swallow", "shallows". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shallow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shallow" is /ˈʃæl.oʊ/. 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 "shallow"?
From Middle English schalowe (“not deep, shallow”); apparently related to Middle English schalde, schold, scheld, schealde (“shallow”), from Old English sċeald (“shallow”), from Proto-Germanic *skal-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch... 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 “shallow”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-A-L-L-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃæl.oʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “shalom” - see the side-by-side comparison. shallow vs shalom
  • 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