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shed

/ʃɛd/verb, noun

shed is spelled S-H-E-D: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, shed means “To part, separate or divide” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in shed?

Letters4: S-H-E-D
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing17 times per million words; the 4,838th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is shed?

Shed appears 17 times per million words in written English, the 4,838th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce shed?

  • /ʃɛd/

Shed has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-shed.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with shed

Also written: woodshed.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of shed

  • sheds present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • shedding participle, present
  • shode
  • shead
  • shede
  • shedded participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does shed mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    UKTo part, separate or divide.

    to shed something in two

  2. 2

    To part with, separate from, leave off; cast off, cast, let fall, be divested of.

    You must shed your fear of the unknown before you can proceed.

  3. 3

    archaicTo pour; to make flow.

  4. 4

    To allow to flow or fall.

    I didn't shed many tears when he left me.

  5. 5

    To radiate, cast, give off (light).

    to shed light on

  6. 6

    obsoleteTo pour forth, give off, impart.

  7. 7

    obsoleteTo fall in drops; to pour.

  8. 8

    To sprinkle; to intersperse; to cover.

  9. 9

    To place or allocate a vehicle, such as a locomotive, in or to a depot or shed.

  10. 10

    To woodshed.

noun

  1. 1

    An opening between upper and lower warp yarns through which the weft is woven.

  2. 2

    obsoleteA distinction or dividing-line.

  3. 3

    obsoleteA parting in the hair.

  4. 4

    obsoleteThe top of the head.

  5. 5

    An area of land as distinguished from those around it.

  6. 6

    A slight or temporary structure built to shade or shelter something; a structure usually open in front; an outbuilding, especially a smallish one; a hut.

    wagon shed

  7. 7

    A large temporary open structure for reception of goods.

  8. 8

    UKderogatoryinformalAn automobile which is old, worn-out, slow, or otherwise of poor quality.

  9. 9

    UKinformalA British Rail Class 66 locomotive.

  10. 10

    A unit of area equivalent to 10⁻⁵² square meters.

  11. 11

    slangAlternative form of woodshed.

adjective

as SHED
  1. 1

    Relating to topics of self-harm, eating disorders, or suicidal ideation.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Shed in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchséparer (to part or divide), verser (to pour; to make flow), hangar, baraque (temporary structure to shelter something)
Germanteilen, trennen (to part or divide), vergießen (to pour; to make flow), abwerfen, fallen lassen, häuten (to cast off, to let fall, be divested of)
Portuguesedividir (to part or divide), verter (to pour; to make flow), barracão (temporary structure to shelter something), descartar (to cast off, to let fall, be divested of), derramar (to allow to flow or fall), cala (opening between upper and lower warp yarns)
Spanishseparar (to part or divide), verter (to pour; to make flow), cobertizo, galpón, sotechado (temporary structure to shelter something), derramar (to allow to flow or fall)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does shed come from?

From Middle English scheden, schede, from Old English scēadan, scādan (“to separate, divide, part, make a line of separation between; remove from association or companionship; distinguish, discriminate, decide, determine, appoint; shatter, shed; expound; decree; write down; differ”), from Proto-West Germanic *skaiþan, from Proto-Germanic *skaiþaną (compare West Frisian skiede, Dutch and German scheiden), from Proto-Indo-European *skeyt- (“to cut, part, divide, separate”), from *skey-.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after shed