sigmoid

/ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd/

//ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd// adj

"sigmoid" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sigmoid” is uncommon English (frequency #90,991 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,991
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Semi-circular, like the uncial or lunate sigma (similar to English C).

Corpus desk

Index EN-sigmoid · sigmoid · English

sigmoid · rank #90,991 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,991
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH signboard

Nearest frequency peer: signboard (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “sigmoid”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sigmoid” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sigmoid
PropertyValue
Headwordsigmoid
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#90,991
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sigmoid” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).sigmoidfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “signboard” (#90,992), “sifu” (#90,989), “skipjack” (#90,994). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sigmoid” is #90,991. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sigmoid is uncommon English at frequency #90,991 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for sigmoid, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowing from Ancient Greek σῑγμοειδής (sīgmoeidḗs, “of the shape of sigma”), from σῖγμᾰ (sîgmă, “sigma”) + -ο- (-o-) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-oid, -like”); Equivalent to sigma + -oid. Compare with French sigmoïde. The correct English form is sigmoid, spelled S-I-G-M-O-I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Semi-circular, like the uncial or lunate sigma (similar to English C).
  2. 2
    Curved in two directions, like the letter "S", or the Greek ς (sigma); having a serpentine shape.
  3. 3
    Curved in two directions, like the letter "S", or the Greek ς (sigma); having a serpentine shape.
  4. 4
    Relating to the sigmoid colon.

Etymology

Borrowing from Ancient Greek σῑγμοειδής (sīgmoeidḗs, “of the shape of sigma”), from σῖγμᾰ (sîgmă, “sigma”) + -ο- (-o-) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-oid, -like”); Equivalent to sigma + -oid. Compare with French sigmoïde.

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 "sigmoid"?
"sigmoid" is spelled S-I-G-M-O-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd/.
What does "sigmoid" mean?
As an adjective, "sigmoid" means: Semi-circular, like the uncial or lunate sigma (similar to English C).
How do you pronounce "sigmoid"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sigmoid" is /ˈsɪɡ.mɔɪd/. 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 "sigmoid"?
Borrowing from Ancient Greek σῑγμοειδής (sīgmoeidḗs, “of the shape of sigma”), from σῖγμᾰ (sîgmă, “sigma”) + -ο- (-o-) + -ειδής (-eidḗs, “-oid, -like”); Equivalent to sigma + -oid. Compare with French sigmoïde. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
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Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list