subsidiary

/sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/

//sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i// adj

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

"subsidiary" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“subsidiary” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,095 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,095
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Auxiliary or supplemental.

Key facts for subsidiary
PropertyValue
Headwordsubsidiary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/
Letters10
Frequency rank#8,095
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “subsidiary” 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). subsidiary lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for subsidiary is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,095 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for subsidiary, with forms such as "sbusidiary", "ssubsidiary", and "subbsidiary". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French subsidiaire, from Latin subsidiarius (“belonging to a reserve”). The correct English form is subsidiary, spelled S-U-B-S-I-D-I-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Auxiliary or supplemental.
  2. 2
    Secondary or subordinate.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to a subsidy.

Etymology

From Middle French subsidiaire, from Latin subsidiarius (“belonging to a reserve”).

This word in other languages

subsidiaire(Français)ergänzend(Deutsch)subsidiário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sbusidiary,ssubsidiary,subbsidiary,subisdiary,subsdiiary,subsidairy,subsiddiary,subsidiarry,subsidiaryy,subsidiayr,subsidiray,subsiidary,subssidiary,susbidiary,usbsidiary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sbusidiary2ssubsidiary1subbsidiary1subisdiary2subsdiiary2subsidairy2subsiddiary1subsidiarry1
Edit distance from "subsidiary"

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 "subsidiary"?
"subsidiary" is spelled S-U-B-S-I-D-I-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/.
What does "subsidiary" mean?
As an adjective, "subsidiary" means: Auxiliary or supplemental.
What are common misspellings of "subsidiary"?
Common misspellings include "sbusidiary", "ssubsidiary", "subbsidiary", "subisdiary", "subsdiiary". The correct spelling is "subsidiary".
How do you pronounce "subsidiary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subsidiary" is /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/. 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 "subsidiary"?
From Middle French subsidiaire, from Latin subsidiarius (“belonging to a reserve”). 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.

Using “subsidiary”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-B-S-I-D-I-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list