subject

/ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/

//ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt// adj

"subject" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“subject” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,175. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,175
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Likely to be affected by or to experience something; liable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subject · subject · English

subject · rank #1,175 · 11 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,175
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH search

Nearest frequency peer: search (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “subject”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “subject” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

subject vs subset
71% similar
subject vs suspect
71% similar
subject vs subvert
71% similar

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

Key facts for subject
PropertyValue
Headwordsubject
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,175
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “subject” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).subjectlands 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 “search” (#1,174), “train” (#1,176), “particularly” (#1,173). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around subject (IPA /ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #1,175 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for subject, with forms such as "sbuject", "ssubject", and "subbject". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "subset", "suspect", "subvert", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English subget, from Old French suget, from Latin subiectus (“lying under or near, adjacent, also subject, exposed”), as a noun, subiectus (“a subject, an inferior”), subiectum (“the subject of a proposition”), past participle of subiciō (“throw… The correct English form is subject, spelled S-U-B-J-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Likely to be affected by or to experience something; liable.
  2. 2
    Conditional upon something; used with to.
  3. 3
    Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
  4. 4
    Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a country subject to extreme heat
  2. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.

Etymology

From Middle English subget, from Old French suget, from Latin subiectus (“lying under or near, adjacent, also subject, exposed”), as a noun, subiectus (“a subject, an inferior”), subiectum (“the subject of a proposition”), past participle of subiciō (“throw, lay, place”), from sub (“under, at the foot of”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”), as a calque of Ancient Greek ὑποκείμενον (hupokeímenon).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sbuject
  • ssubject
  • subbject
  • subejct
  • subjcet
  • subjecct
  • subjectt
  • subjetc
  • subjject
  • sujbect
  • usbject

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of subject - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

sbuject2ssubject1subbject1subejct2subjcet2subjecct1subjectt1subjetc2
Edit distance from "subject"

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 "subject"?
"subject" is spelled S-U-B-J-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/.
What does "subject" mean?
As an adjective, "subject" means: Likely to be affected by or to experience something; liable.
What words are commonly confused with "subject"?
"subject" is commonly confused with "subset", "suspect", "subvert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "subject"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subject" is /ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/. 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 "subject"?
From Middle English subget, from Old French suget, from Latin subiectus (“lying under or near, adjacent, also subject, exposed”), as a noun, subiectus (“a subject, an inferior”), subiectum (“the subject of a proposition”), past participle of subic... 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 "subject", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "subject". Here's where to go from here.

  • "subject" maps to 6 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "subset". View pair
  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,175 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list