subdue

/səbˈdu/

//səbˈdu// verb

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

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

The verdict

“subdue” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,980. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,980
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subdue · subdue · English

subdue · rank #26,980 · 8 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,980
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stylized

Nearest frequency peer: stylized (-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 “subdue”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “subdue” 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).

subdue vs suede
67% similar
subdue vs subtle
67% similar
subdue vs sundae
67% similar

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

Key facts for subdue
PropertyValue
Headwordsubdue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səbˈdu/
Letters6
Frequency rank#26,980
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “subdue”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “stylized” (#26,979), “Strickland” (#26,978), “succumb” (#26,982). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “subdue” is #26,980. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around subdue (IPA /səbˈdu/), averb. Corpus frequency is #26,980 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for subdue, with forms such as "sbudue", "ssubdue", and "subbdue". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "suede", "subtle", "sundae", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (“to draw away”), perhaps influenced by subdō (“to subdue, subject”). The correct English form is subdue, spelled S-U-B-D-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
  2. 2
    To bring (a country) under control by force.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And when their ſcattered armie is ſubdu’d: And you march on their ſlaughtered carkaſſes, Share equally the gold that bought their liues, And liue like Gentlmen in Perſea, […]
  2. Gary Cahill, a target for Arsenal and Tottenham before the transfer window closed, put England ahead early on and Rooney was on target twice before the interval as the early hostility of the Bulgarian supporters was swiftly subdued.

Etymology

From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (“to draw away”), perhaps influenced by subdō (“to subdue, subject”).

This word in other languages

someter(Español)soumettre(Français)unterwerfen(Deutsch)subjugar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sbudue
  • ssubdue
  • subbdue
  • subddue
  • subdeu
  • subude
  • sudbue
  • usbdue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of subdue - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

sbudue2ssubdue1subbdue1subddue1subdeu2subude2sudbue2usbdue2
Edit distance from "subdue"

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 "subdue"?
"subdue" is spelled S-U-B-D-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /səbˈdu/.
What does "subdue" mean?
As a verb, "subdue" means: To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
What words are commonly confused with "subdue"?
"subdue" is commonly confused with "suede", "subtle", "sundae". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "subdue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subdue" is /səbˈdu/. 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 "subdue"?
From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (“to draw away”), perhaps influenced by subdō (“to subdue, subject”). 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 "subdue", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

soared#26,967slough#26,965thwart#26,996signup#26,963

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Susanna8 variantssaucer8 variantsTrish8 variantsrollout8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list