sigh

/saɪ/

//saɪ// verb

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

"sigh" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sigh” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,742. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,742
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief,...

Corpus desk

Index EN-sigh · sigh · English

sigh · rank #7,742 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,742
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Shane

Nearest frequency peer: Shane (-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 “sigh”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sigh” 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).

sigh vs six
50% similar
sigh vs sir
50% similar
sigh vs sit
50% similar

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

Key facts for sigh
PropertyValue
Headwordsigh
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/saɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,742
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sigh”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sighlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Shane” (#7,741), “sixteen” (#7,743), “sensitivity” (#7,740). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sigh” is #7,742. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around sigh (IPA /saɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,742 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for sigh, with forms such as "isgh", "sgih", and "siggh". 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, "six", "sir", "sit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sighen (“to sigh”), back-formation from sighte, past tense form of siken, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour out”). The correct English form is sigh, spelled S-I-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, frustration, or the like.
  2. 2
    To lament; to grieve.
  3. 3
    To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over.
  4. 4
    To make a sound like sighing.
  5. 5
    To exhale (the breath) in sighs.
  6. 6
    To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When she saw it wasn't damaged, she sighed with relief.
  2. He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Etymology

From Middle English sighen (“to sigh”), back-formation from sighte, past tense form of siken, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour out”).

This word in other languages

suspirar(Español)soupirer(Français)seufzen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isgh
  • sgih
  • siggh
  • sighh
  • sihg
  • ssigh

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

isgh2sgih2siggh1sighh1sihg2ssigh1
Edit distance from "sigh"

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 "sigh"?
"sigh" is spelled S-I-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /saɪ/.
What does "sigh" mean?
As a verb, "sigh" means: To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief,...
What words are commonly confused with "sigh"?
"sigh" is commonly confused with "six", "sir", "sit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sigh"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sigh" is /saɪ/. 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 "sigh"?
From Middle English sighen (“to sigh”), back-formation from sighte, past tense form of siken, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seykʷ- (“to pour out”). 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 "sigh", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stat#7,748Troy#7,757plea#7,725wang#7,762

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

tense6 variantsPierre6 variantschess6 variantsIraqi6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list