sorcerer

/ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)/

//ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)// noun

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

"sorcerer" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sorcerer” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #24,316 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#24,316
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A magician or wizard. Sometimes specifically male.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sorcerer vs sorcery
75% similar
sorcerer vs sorceress
78% similar

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

Key facts for sorcerer
PropertyValue
Headwordsorcerer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#24,316
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sorcerer” 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). sorcerer 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 sorcerer is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #24,316 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for sorcerer, with forms such as "osrcerer", "socrerer", and "sorccerer". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "sorcery", "sorceress", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sorcerere, from stem sorcer- (as in sorceresse and sorcery) + -ere, from Old French sorcer, sorcier, from Early Medieval Latin sortiārius, derived from Latin sortem (“fate, fortune”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”). The correct English form is sorcerer, spelled S-O-R-C-E-R-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A magician or wizard. Sometimes specifically male.
  2. 2
    A person whose skills or abilities appear almost magical.

Etymology

From Middle English sorcerere, from stem sorcer- (as in sorceresse and sorcery) + -ere, from Old French sorcer, sorcier, from Early Medieval Latin sortiārius, derived from Latin sortem (“fate, fortune”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”).

This word in other languages

brujo(Español)sorcier(Français)Zauberer(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osrcerer,socrerer,sorccerer,sorceerr,sorcererr,sorcerre,sorcerrer,sorcreer,sorecrer,sorrcerer,srocerer,ssorcerer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

osrcerer2socrerer2sorccerer1sorceerr2sorcererr1sorcerre2sorcerrer1sorcreer2
Edit distance from "sorcerer"

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 "sorcerer"?
"sorcerer" is spelled S-O-R-C-E-R-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)/.
What does "sorcerer" mean?
As a noun, "sorcerer" means: A magician or wizard. Sometimes specifically male.
What words are commonly confused with "sorcerer"?
"sorcerer" is commonly confused with "sorcery", "sorceress". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sorcerer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sorcerer" is /ˈsɔːsəɹə(ɹ)/. 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 "sorcerer"?
From Middle English sorcerere, from stem sorcer- (as in sorceresse and sorcery) + -ere, from Old French sorcer, sorcier, from Early Medieval Latin sortiārius, derived from Latin sortem (“fate, fortune”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind”). 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 “sorcerer”

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

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