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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,742 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,742
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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,...

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)

Where “sigh” 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). sigh 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 sigh is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /saɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,742 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “sigh”

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

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