sordid

/ˈsɔː.dɪd/

//ˈsɔː.dɪd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“sordid” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,472. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,472
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Distasteful, ignoble, vile, or contemptible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sordid · sordid · English

sordid · rank #29,472 · 9 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,472
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sora

Nearest frequency peer: sora (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “sordid”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “sordid” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

sordid vs sorted
67% similar
sordid vs sortie
67% similar
sordid vs solid
67% similar

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

Key facts for sordid
PropertyValue
Headwordsordid
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɔː.dɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,472
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sordid”

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).sordidlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sora” (#29,471), “solidify” (#29,470), “softness” (#29,469). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sordid” is #29,472. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around sordid (IPA /ˈsɔː.dɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #29,472 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for sordid, with forms such as "osrdid", "sodrid", and "sorddi". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "sorted", "sortie", "solid", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sordide, from Latin sordidus. Alternatively from French sordide. The correct English form is sordid, spelled S-O-R-D-I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Distasteful, ignoble, vile, or contemptible.
  2. 2
    Dirty or squalid.
  3. 3
    Morally degrading.
  4. 4
    Grasping; stingy; avaricious.
  5. 5
    Of a dull colour.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The more hopelessly sordid and insensible he appeared, the greater became Mrs. Shelby's dread of his succeeding in recapturing Eliza and her child, and of course the greater her motive for detaining him by every female artifice.
  2. He rode slowly home along the deserted road, watching the stars come out in the clear violet sky. They flashed softly into the limpid heavens, like jewels let fall into clear water. They were a reproach, he felt, to a sordid world.

Etymology

From Middle English sordide, from Latin sordidus. Alternatively from French sordide.

Synonyms

unclean

This word in other languages

sórdido(Español)sordide(Français)dreckig(Deutsch)sórdido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • osrdid
  • sodrid
  • sorddi
  • sorddid
  • sordidd
  • soridd
  • sorrdid
  • srodid
  • ssordid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

osrdid2sodrid2sorddi2sorddid1sordidd1soridd2sorrdid1srodid2
Edit distance from "sordid"

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 "sordid"?
"sordid" is spelled S-O-R-D-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɔː.dɪd/.
What does "sordid" mean?
As an adjective, "sordid" means: Distasteful, ignoble, vile, or contemptible.
What words are commonly confused with "sordid"?
"sordid" is commonly confused with "sorted", "sortie", "solid". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sordid"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sordid" is /ˈsɔː.dɪd/. 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 "sordid"?
From Middle English sordide, from Latin sordidus. Alternatively from French sordide. 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 "sordid", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sprawl#29,476sliver#29,466sleigh#29,464stasis#29,480

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

sheesh9 variantsswivel9 variantstoying9 variantsunkind9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list