# sour

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsaʊə/ · frequency rank #8,610

## Definitions
1. Tasting of acidity.
2. Made rancid by fermentation, etc.
3. Tasting or smelling rancid.
4. Hostile or unfriendly.
5. Excessively acidic and thus infertile. (of soil)
6. Containing excess sulfur. (of petroleum)
7. Unfortunate or unfavorable.
8. Off-pitch, out of tune.

## Etymology
From Middle English sour, from Old English sūr (“sour”), from Proto-West Germanic *sūr, from Proto-Germanic *sūraz (“sour”), from Proto-Indo-European *súHros (“sour”).
Cognate with West Frisian soer, Dutch zuur (“sour”), Low German suur, German sauer (“sour”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian sur, French sur (“sour”), Faroese súrur (“sour”), Icelandic súr (“sour, bitter”),
Polish ser (“cheese”),
Czech sýr (“cheese”),
Slovak syr (“cheese”),
Russian сырой (syroj, “raw”),
Ukrainian сири́й (syrýj, “raw”),
Old Church Slavonic сꙑръ (syrŭ, “moist, cheese”).

## Easily confused with
- **su** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-su)
- **sun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sun)
- **sub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sub)
- **sum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sum)
- **sue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sue)
- **sox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sox)
- **soy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-soy)
- **SUV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-suv)
- **sup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sup)
- **sow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sow)
- **STR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-str)
- **Stu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-stu)
- **Sus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sus)
- **Sui** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sui)
- **suh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-suh)
- **Sul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sul)
- **sud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sud)
- **SPR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-spr)
- **sov** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sov)
- **sure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sour-vs-sure)

## Common misspellings (5)
`osur`, `soru`, `sourr`, `ssour`, `suor`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sour