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” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,095. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,095
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Auxiliary or supplemental.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subsidiary · subsidiary · English

subsidiary · rank #8,095 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,095
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH su

Nearest frequency peer: su (-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 “subsidiary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “subsidiary” 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
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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “subsidiary”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).subsidiarylands 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 “su” (#8,094), “Tampa” (#8,096), “smoked” (#8,093). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “subsidiary” is #8,095. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around subsidiary (IPA /sʌbˈsɪ.di.əɹ.i/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,095 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. chief ruler and principal head everywhere, not suffragant and subsidiary
  2. They constituted a useful subsidiary testimony of another state of existence.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "subsidiary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

underwater#8,101researcher#8,082ammunition#8,117Montgomery#8,067

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

continually15 variantsexpressions15 variantsliberation15 variantsdelegation15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list