shrewd

/ʃɹuːd/

//ʃɹuːd// adj

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

"shrewd" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shrewd” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,204 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#25,204
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

shrewd vs spread
67% similar
shrewd vs shroud
67% similar
shrewd vs strewn
67% similar

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

Key facts for shrewd
PropertyValue
Headwordshrewd
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʃɹuːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,204
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shrewd” 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). shrewd 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 shrewd is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʃɹuːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,204 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for shrewd, with forms such as "hsrewd", "sherwd", and "shhrewd". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "spread", "shroud", "strewn", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English sċrēawa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent to shrew +… The correct English form is shrewd, spelled S-H-R-E-W-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
  2. 2
    Artful, tricky or cunning.
  3. 3
    streetwise, street-smart.
  4. 4
    Knowledgeable, intelligent, keen.
  5. 5
    Nigh accurate.
  6. 6
    Severe, intense, hard.
  7. 7
    Sharp, snithy, piercing.
  8. 8
    Bad, evil, threatening.
  9. 9
    Portending, boding.
  10. 10
    Noxious, scatheful, mischievous.
  11. 11
    Abusive, shrewish.
  12. 12
    Scolding, satirical, sharp.

Etymology

From Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English sċrēawa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent to shrew + -ed. More at shrew. The sense of "cunning" developed in early 16ᵗʰ c., gradually gaining a positive connotation by 17ᵗʰ c.

This word in other languages

perspicaz(Español)perspicace(Français)klug(Deutsch)perspicaz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsrewd,sherwd,shhrewd,shredw,shrewdd,shrewwd,shrrewd,shrwed,srhewd,sshrewd

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hsrewd2sherwd2shhrewd1shredw2shrewdd1shrewwd1shrrewd1shrwed2
Edit distance from "shrewd"

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 "shrewd"?
"shrewd" is spelled S-H-R-E-W-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ʃɹuːd/.
What does "shrewd" mean?
As an adjective, "shrewd" means: Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.
What words are commonly confused with "shrewd"?
"shrewd" is commonly confused with "spread", "shroud", "strewn". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shrewd"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shrewd" is /ʃɹuːd/. 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 "shrewd"?
From Middle English schrewed (“depraved; wicked”, literally “accursed”), from schrewen (“to curse; beshrew”), from schrewe, schrowe, screwe (“evil or wicked person/thing”), from Old English sċrēawa (“wicked person”, literally “biter”). Equivalent ... 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 “shrewd”

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

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