smooth

/smuːð/

//smuːð// adj

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

"smooth" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“smooth” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,655 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,655
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

smooth vs soot
67% similar
smooth vs south
67% similar
smooth vs Smyth
50% similar

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

Key facts for smooth
PropertyValue
Headwordsmooth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/smuːð/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,655
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “smooth” 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). smooth 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 smooth is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /smuːð/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,655 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for smooth, with forms such as "msooth", "smmooth", and "smooht". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "soot", "south", "Smyth", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”),… The correct English form is smooth, spelled S-M-O-O-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough.
  2. 2
    Without difficulty, problems, or unexpected consequences or incidents.
  3. 3
    Bland; glib.
  4. 4
    Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; fluent.
  5. 5
    Suave; sophisticated.
  6. 6
    Natural; unconstrained.
  7. 7
    Unbroken.
  8. 8
    Placid, calm.
  9. 9
    Lacking projections or indentations; not serrated.
  10. 10
    Not grainy; having an even texture.
  11. 11
    Having a pleasantly rounded flavor; neither rough nor astringent.
  12. 12
    Having derivatives of all finite orders at all points within the function’s domain.
  13. 13
    That factors completely into small prime numbers.
  14. 14
    Lacking marked aspiration.
  15. 15
    Involuntary and non-striated.

Etymology

From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”), Dutch smeuïg (“smooth”) (from earlier smeudig).

Synonyms

evenfluidslickdownyflatfrictionlesslanatelevelsilkensilklikesilkysleekslightsmoothvelutinousvelvety

Antonyms

roughunevenbumpycoarsetextured

This word in other languages

liso(Español)lisse(Français)glatt(Deutsch)liso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: msooth,smmooth,smooht,smoothh,smootth,smoth,smotoh,somoth,ssmooth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of smooth - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

msooth2smmooth1smooht2smoothh1smootth1smoth1smotoh2somoth2
Edit distance from "smooth"

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 "smooth"?
"smooth" is spelled S-M-O-O-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /smuːð/.
What does "smooth" mean?
As an adjective, "smooth" means: Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough.
What words are commonly confused with "smooth"?
"smooth" is commonly confused with "soot", "south", "Smyth". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "smooth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "smooth" is /smuːð/. 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 "smooth"?
From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ... 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 “smooth”

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

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