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” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,204. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,204
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Showing clever resourcefulness in practical matters.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shrewd · shrewd · English

shrewd · rank #25,204 · 10 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,204
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shirtless

Nearest frequency peer: shirtless (-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 “shrewd”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “shrewd” 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).

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shrewd”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).shrewdlands 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 “shirtless” (#25,203), “shudder” (#25,205), “shipwreck” (#25,202). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shrewd” is #25,204. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around shrewd (IPA /ʃɹuːd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,204 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Willie is very aware of this fact and lets Johnny Attell know that there is a fly in the ointment, and Johnny, who is a very shrewd article, has his chauffeur drive him to Bradford Street so he can change the kid's mind.
  2. The most persistent tormentor was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored a hat-trick in last month’s corresponding fixture in Iceland. His ability to run at defences is instantly striking, but it is his clever use of possession that has persuaded some shrewd judges that he is an even better prospect than Theo Walcott.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "shrewd", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

slalom#25,209Sanjay#25,196solder#25,212salaam#25,195

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

sparring10 variantsRochelle10 variantsstench10 variantsporridge10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list