sudoku

/sʊˈdəʊku/

//sʊˈdəʊku// noun

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

The verdict

“sudoku” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,107. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,107
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of pencil puzzle played on a square grid, requiring each of the columns, each of the rows, and each of the subregions (called "boxes" or "regions") to contain the lowest whole numbers up to ...

Key facts for sudoku
PropertyValue
Headwordsudoku
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/sʊˈdəʊku/
Letters6
Frequency rank#45,107
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sudoku” 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). sudoku lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around sudoku (IPA /sʊˈdəʊku/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,107 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A type of pencil puzzle played on a square grid, requiring each of the columns, each of the rows, and each of the subregions (called "boxes" or "regions") to contain the lowest whole numbers up to ...".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for sudoku, with forms such as "sduoku", "ssudoku", and "suddoku". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Japanese 数(すう)字(じ) (sūji) Japanese は (wa) Japanese 独(どく)身(しん) (dokushin) Japanese に (ni) Japanese 限(かぎ)る (kagiru) Japanese 数独 (sūdoku)bor. English sudoku Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku). The correct English form is sudoku, spelled S-U-D-O-K-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A type of pencil puzzle played on a square grid, requiring each of the columns, each of the rows, and each of the subregions (called "boxes" or "regions") to contain the lowest whole numbers up to the dimension of the puzzle, usually 1 to 9, once each. The subregions are rectangular or square except in variants.

Etymology

Etymology tree Japanese 数(すう)字(じ) (sūji) Japanese は (wa) Japanese 独(どく)身(しん) (dokushin) Japanese に (ni) Japanese 限(かぎ)る (kagiru) Japanese 数独 (sūdoku)bor. English sudoku Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sduoku
  • ssudoku
  • suddoku
  • sudkou
  • sudokku
  • sudouk
  • suodku
  • usdoku

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sduoku2ssudoku1suddoku1sudkou2sudokku1sudouk2suodku2usdoku2
Edit distance from "sudoku"

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 "sudoku"?
"sudoku" is spelled S-U-D-O-K-U. The IPA pronunciation is /sʊˈdəʊku/.
What does "sudoku" mean?
As a noun, "sudoku" means: A type of pencil puzzle played on a square grid, requiring each of the columns, each of the rows, and each of the subregions (called "boxes" or "regions") to contain the lowest whole numbers up to ...
What are common misspellings of "sudoku"?
Common misspellings include "sduoku", "ssudoku", "suddoku", "sudkou", "sudokku". The correct spelling is "sudoku".
How do you pronounce "sudoku"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sudoku" is /sʊˈdəʊku/. 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 "sudoku"?
Etymology tree Japanese 数(すう)字(じ) (sūji) Japanese は (wa) Japanese 独(どく)身(しん) (dokushin) Japanese に (ni) Japanese 限(かぎ)る (kagiru) Japanese 数独 (sūdoku)bor. English sudoku Borrowed from Japanese 数独 (sūdoku). 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 “sudoku”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-D-O-K-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sʊˈdəʊku/ (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

Same frequency band

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