sucky

/ˈsʌki/

//ˈsʌki// adj

"sucky" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sucky” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,799 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#46,799
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Being something which sucks, which is unpleasant or inferior.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sucky vs sunk
60% similar
sucky vs SUNY
0% similar
sucky vs suki
60% similar

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

Key facts for sucky
PropertyValue
Headwordsucky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsʌki/
Letters5
Frequency rank#46,799
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sucky” 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). sucky 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 sucky is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsʌki/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,799 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for sucky, with forms such as "scuky", "ssucky", and "succky". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sunk", "SUNY", "suki", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From suck + -y. The correct English form is sucky, spelled S-U-C-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Being something which sucks, which is unpleasant or inferior.
  2. 2
    Tending to suck up or ingratiate oneself.

Etymology

From suck + -y.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: scuky,ssucky,succky,suckky,suckyy,sucyk,sukcy,uscky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sucky - 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.

scuky2ssucky1succky1suckky1suckyy1sucyk2sukcy2uscky2
Edit distance from "sucky"

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 "sucky"?
"sucky" is spelled S-U-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌki/.
What does "sucky" mean?
As an adjective, "sucky" means: Being something which sucks, which is unpleasant or inferior.
What words are commonly confused with "sucky"?
"sucky" is commonly confused with "sunk", "SUNY", "suki". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sucky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sucky" is /ˈsʌki/. 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 "sucky"?
From suck + -y. 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 “sucky”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-C-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌki/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sunk” - see the side-by-side comparison. sucky vs sunk
  • 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