skald

/skɔːld/

//skɔːld// noun

"skald" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“skald” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Nordic poet of the Viking Age.

Key facts for skald
PropertyValue
Headwordskald
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skɔːld/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “skald” sits in English frequency

skald falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

skald is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /skɔːld/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A Nordic poet of the Viking Age.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for skald, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old Norse skald. Doublet of scold. The correct English form is skald, spelled S-K-A-L-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Nordic poet of the Viking Age.

Etymology

From Old Norse skald. Doublet of scold.

This word in other languages

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 "skald"?
"skald" is spelled S-K-A-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /skɔːld/.
What does "skald" mean?
As a noun, "skald" means: A Nordic poet of the Viking Age.
How do you pronounce "skald"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skald" is /skɔːld/. 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 "skald"?
From Old Norse skald. Doublet of scold. 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 “skald”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-K-A-L-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /skɔːld/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list