# sudoku

> English word · Noun · IPA /sʊˈdəʊku/ · frequency rank #45,107

## Definitions
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).

## Common misspellings (8)
`sduoku`, `ssudoku`, `suddoku`, `sudkou`, `sudokku`, `sudouk`, `suodku`, `usdoku`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sudoku