shirk

/ʃɜːk/

//ʃɜːk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“shirk” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,913. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,913
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shirk · shirk · English

shirk · rank #43,913 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,913
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shitless

Nearest frequency peer: shitless (+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 “shirk”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “shirk” 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).

shirk vs sir
60% similar
shirk vs sik
60% similar
shirk vs shit
60% similar

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

Key facts for shirk
PropertyValue
Headwordshirk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ʃɜːk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#43,913
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shirk”

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).shirklands 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 “shitless” (#43,914), “Shek” (#43,911), “shoves” (#43,915). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shirk” is #43,913. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around shirk (IPA /ʃɜːk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #43,913 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for shirk, with forms such as "hsirk", "shhirk", and "shikr". 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, "sir", "sik", "shit", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”). The correct English form is shirk, spelled S-H-I-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.
  2. 2
    To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.
  3. 3
    To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the usual makeshift by which they try to shirk difficulties
  2. Back in school, you ever get busted for trynna walk and have some administrator tell you / "Son, you can shirk your obligations, / and try to be different from your peers, / but responsibility, your future / is gonna find you!"

Etymology

First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”).

Synonyms

shrinkblow offcop outdogdossduckflinchgoldbrickgoof offlollygagmalingerprocrastinateshirkslack offsoldierswing the leadweasel out

This word in other languages

correrse(Español)esquiver(Français)umgehen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsirk
  • shhirk
  • shikr
  • shirkk
  • shirrk
  • shrik
  • sihrk
  • sshirk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shirk - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hsirk2shhirk1shikr2shirkk1shirrk1shrik2sihrk2sshirk1
Edit distance from "shirk"

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 "shirk"?
"shirk" is spelled S-H-I-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃɜːk/.
What does "shirk" mean?
As a verb, "shirk" means: To avoid, especially a duty, responsibility, etc.; to stay away from.
What words are commonly confused with "shirk"?
"shirk" is commonly confused with "sir", "sik", "shit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shirk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shirk" is /ʃɜːk/. 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 "shirk"?
First use appears c. 1633, in the publications of Shackerley Marmion, apparently from association with shark (verb), or otherwise directly from German Schurke (“rogue, knave”). 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 "shirk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

solon#43,929spiel#43,932spunk#43,934Rizal#43,890

Similar misspelling depth

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

Soames8 variantsswank8 variantstacks8 variantstenses8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list