sign

/saɪn/

//saɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sign” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #885. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#885
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sign · sign · English

sign · rank #885 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #885
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH seven

Nearest frequency peer: seven (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “sign”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “sign” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

sign vs six
50% similar
sign vs son
50% similar
sign vs sir
50% similar

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

Key facts for sign
PropertyValue
Headwordsign
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/saɪn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#885
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sign” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).signlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “seven” (#884), “simple” (#886), “seem” (#883). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around sign (IPA /saɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #885 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for sign, with forms such as "isgn", "sgin", and "siggn". 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", "son", "sir", 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 signe, sygne, syng, seine, sine, syne, from Old English seġn (“sign; mark; token”) and Old French signe, seing (“sign; mark; signature”); both from Latin signum (“a mark; sign; token”); root uncertain. Doublet of signum. Partially displa… The correct English form is sign, spelled S-I-G-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
  2. 2
    A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
  3. 3
    A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
  4. 4
    A mark or another symbol used to represent something.
  5. 5
    Physical evidence left by an animal.
  6. 6
    A clearly visible object, generally flat, bearing a short message in words or pictures.
  7. 7
    A wonder; miracle; prodigy.
  8. 8
    An astrological sign.
  9. 9
    Positive or negative polarity, as denoted by the + or - sign.
  10. 10
    A specific gesture or motion used to communicate by those with speaking or hearing difficulties; now specifically, a linguistic unit in sign language equivalent to word in spoken languages.
  11. 11
    Sign language in general.
  12. 12
    A semantic unit, something that conveys meaning or information (e.g. a word of written language); (linguistics, semiotics) a unit consisting of a signifier and a signified concept. (See sign (semiotics).)
  13. 13
    A military emblem carried on a banner or standard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Their angry expressions were a clear sign they didn't want to talk.
  2. Those clouds show signs of raining soon.

Etymology

From Middle English signe, sygne, syng, seine, sine, syne, from Old English seġn (“sign; mark; token”) and Old French signe, seing (“sign; mark; signature”); both from Latin signum (“a mark; sign; token”); root uncertain. Doublet of signum. Partially displaced native token.

This word in other languages

signo(Español)signe(Français)Zeichen(Deutsch)símbolo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isgn
  • sgin
  • siggn
  • signn
  • ssign

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

isgn2sgin2siggn1signn1ssign1
Edit distance from "sign"

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 "sign"?
"sign" is spelled S-I-G-N. The IPA pronunciation is /saɪn/.
What does "sign" mean?
As a noun, "sign" means: A visible fact that shows that something exists or may happen.
What words are commonly confused with "sign"?
"sign" is commonly confused with "six", "son", "sir". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sign"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sign" is /saɪn/. 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 "sign"?
From Middle English signe, sygne, syng, seine, sine, syne, from Old English seġn (“sign; mark; token”) and Old French signe, seing (“sign; mark; signature”); both from Latin signum (“a mark; sign; token”); root uncertain. Doublet of signum. Partia... 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 "sign", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

seem#883race#882pick#881lose#879

Similar misspelling depth

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

ones5 variantssafe5 variantspoor5 variantshuge5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "sign". Here's where to go from here.

  • "sign" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "six". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #885 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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