solid

/ˈsɒl.ɪd/

//ˈsɒl.ɪd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“solid” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,919 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,919
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid, gas or plasma.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

solid vs solo
60% similar
solid vs sound
60% similar
solid vs split
60% similar

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

Key facts for solid
PropertyValue
Headwordsolid
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɒl.ɪd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,919
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “solid” 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). solid 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 solid is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɒl.ɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,919 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for solid, with forms such as "oslid", "sloid", and "soild". 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, "solo", "sound", "split", 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 solide, borrowed from Old French solide, from Latin solidus (“solid”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂-i-dʰ-o-s (“entire”), suffixed form of root *solh₂- (“integrate, whole”). Doublet of sol, sold, soldo, solidus, sou, and xu. The correct English form is solid, spelled S-O-L-I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid, gas or plasma.
  2. 2
    Large in size, quantity, or value.
  3. 3
    Lacking holes, hollows or admixtures of other materials.
  4. 4
    Strong or unyielding.
  5. 5
    Continuous and heavy.
  6. 6
    Excellent, of high quality, or reliable.
  7. 7
    Hearty; filling.
  8. 8
    Worthy of credit, trust, or esteem; substantial; not frivolous or fallacious.
  9. 9
    Financially well off; wealthy.
  10. 10
    Sound; not weak.
  11. 11
    Written as one word, without spaces or hyphens.
  12. 12
    Not having the lines separated by leads; not open.
  13. 13
    United; without division; unanimous.
  14. 14
    Of a single color throughout.
  15. 15
    United.
  16. 16
    Intimately allied or friendly with.
  17. 17
    Continuous; unbroken; not dotted or dashed.
  18. 18
    Entire, complete.
  19. 19
    Having all the geometrical dimensions; cubic.
  20. 20
    Measured as a single solid, as the volumes of individual pieces added together without any gaps.

Etymology

From Middle English solide, borrowed from Old French solide, from Latin solidus (“solid”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂-i-dʰ-o-s (“entire”), suffixed form of root *solh₂- (“integrate, whole”). Doublet of sol, sold, soldo, solidus, sou, and xu.

This word in other languages

sólido(Español)solide(Français)fest(Deutsch)sólido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oslid,sloid,soild,soldi,solidd,sollid,ssolid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of solid - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

oslid2sloid2soild2soldi2solidd1sollid1ssolid1
Edit distance from "solid"

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 "solid"?
"solid" is spelled S-O-L-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɒl.ɪd/.
What does "solid" mean?
As an adjective, "solid" means: That can be picked up or held, having a texture, and usually firm. Unlike a liquid, gas or plasma.
What words are commonly confused with "solid"?
"solid" is commonly confused with "solo", "sound", "split". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "solid"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "solid" is /ˈsɒl.ɪd/. 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 "solid"?
From Middle English solide, borrowed from Old French solide, from Latin solidus (“solid”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂-i-dʰ-o-s (“entire”), suffixed form of root *solh₂- (“integrate, whole”). Doublet of sol, sold, soldo, solidus, sou, and xu. 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 “solid”

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

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