stodgy

/ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi/

//ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi// adj

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

The verdict

“stodgy” is uncommon English (frequency #76,363 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,363
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Dull, old-fashioned.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stodgy · stodgy · English

stodgy · rank #76,363 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #76,363
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stepchild

Nearest frequency peer: stepchild (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “stodgy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “stodgy” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stodgy
PropertyValue
Headwordstodgy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#76,363
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stodgy” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).stodgyfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “stepchild” (#76,362), “Strabane” (#76,364), “Staci” (#76,361). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stodgy” is #76,363. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stodgy is uncommon English at frequency #76,363 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for stodgy in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown, but possibly from stodge (“to stuff”), from stog, or a blend of stuffy + podgy. The correct English form is stodgy, spelled S-T-O-D-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dull, old-fashioned.
  2. 2
    Having a thick, semi-solid consistency; glutinous; heavy on the stomach.
  3. 3
    Badly put together.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I gave up trying to get that stodgy club to try anything new.
  2. "What's the matter with you?" — "Nothing. I'm sorry to be so damned emotional, but for six months I've been starved for beauty." — "You used to be so matter of fact. It's very interesting to hear you say that." — "Damn it all, I don't want to be interesting," laughed Philip. "Let's go and have a stodgy tea."

Etymology

Unknown, but possibly from stodge (“to stuff”), from stog, or a blend of stuffy + podgy.

This word in other languages

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 "stodgy"?
"stodgy" is spelled S-T-O-D-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi/.
What does "stodgy" mean?
As an adjective, "stodgy" means: Dull, old-fashioned.
How do you pronounce "stodgy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stodgy" is /ˈstɒ.d͡ʒi/. 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 "stodgy"?
Unknown, but possibly from stodge (“to stuff”), from stog, or a blend of stuffy + podgy. 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 "stodgy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list