sort of
/ˈsɔːt‿əv/
"sort-of" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sort of” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | sort of |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈsɔːt‿əv/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “sort of” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for sort of is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɔːt‿əv/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sort of, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From sort (noun) + of. The adverbial use is derived from the use of the term as an adjective in phrases such as “a sort of [something]”. The correct English form is sort of, spelled S-O-R-T- -O-F.
Definition
- 1Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.
Etymology
From sort (noun) + of. The adverbial use is derived from the use of the term as an adjective in phrases such as “a sort of [something]”.
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
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Using “sort of”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-O-R-T- -O-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsɔːt‿əv/ (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.