sort of
/ˈsɔːt‿əv/
"sort-of" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“sort of” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Preceded by a (and sometimes also followed by a): of a person, thing, etc.: similar but not identical to another person, thing, etc.
Corpus desk
Index EN-sort-of · sort of · English
sort of · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "S" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| 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) |
Long-tail rank of “sort of” in English
Rare enough to double-check
sort of is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈsɔːt‿əv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how sort of appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Sandals, bound with thongs made of boars' hide, protected the feet, and a sort of roll of thin leather was twined artificially round the legs, and, ascending above the calf, left the knees bare, like those of a Scottish Highlander.
This young lady, the daughter of my old friend and companion in arms, the richest heiress in Burgundy, has confessed a sort of a—what was I going to say?—in short, she is a fool, […]
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.