shrive
/ˈʃɹaɪv/
"shrive" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“shrive” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To hear or receive a confession (of sins etc.).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | shrive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈʃɹaɪv/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “shrive” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for shrive is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃɹaɪv/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for shrive, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English shryven, shriven, schrifen, from Old English sċrīfan (“1. to decree, pass judgement, prescribe, 3. (of a priest) to prescribe penance or absolution”), from Proto-West Germanic *skrīban, from late Proto-Germanic *skrībaną, a borrowing fro… The correct English form is shrive, spelled S-H-R-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1To hear or receive a confession (of sins etc.).
- 2To free from guilt, to absolve.
- 3To prescribe penance or absolution.
- 4To confess, and receive absolution.
Etymology
From Middle English shryven, shriven, schrifen, from Old English sċrīfan (“1. to decree, pass judgement, prescribe, 3. (of a priest) to prescribe penance or absolution”), from Proto-West Germanic *skrīban, from late Proto-Germanic *skrībaną, a borrowing from Latin scrībō (“write”). Compare West Frisian skriuwe (“to write”), Low German schrieven (“to write”), Dutch schrijven (“to write”), German schreiben (“to write”), Danish skrive (“to write”), Swedish skriva (“to write”), Icelandic skrifa (“to write”). More at scribe and scribble.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "shrive"?
What does "shrive" mean?
How do you pronounce "shrive"?
What is the origin of the word "shrive"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “shrive”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-H-R-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈʃɹaɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.