sulk

/sʌlk/

//sʌlk// verb

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

"sulk" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sulk” is uncommon English (frequency #50,254 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,254
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To express ill humor or offence by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sulk · sulk · English

sulk · rank #50,254 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,254
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sunspot

Nearest frequency peer: sunspot (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “sulk”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sulk” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sulk
PropertyValue
Headwordsulk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/sʌlk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#50,254
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sulk” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sulkfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “sunspot” (#50,255), “subsist” (#50,252), “superboy” (#50,256). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sulk” is #50,254. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sulk is uncommon English at frequency #50,254 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /sʌlk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To express ill humor or offence by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sulk, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from sulky, of uncertain origin. Probably from Middle English *sulke, *solke (attested in solcenesse (“idleness; laziness”), from Old English āsolcennys (“idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness”), from āsolcen (“sulky, languid”), from… The correct English form is sulk, spelled S-U-L-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To express ill humor or offence by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mr. Riach, who had been to the college, spoke to me like a friend when he was not sulking, and told me many curious things, […]
  2. You crossed her last wish in death and yet you sulk with me because I don’t whinge like some hired mute from Lalouette’s.

Etymology

Back-formation from sulky, of uncertain origin. Probably from Middle English *sulke, *solke (attested in solcenesse (“idleness; laziness”), from Old English āsolcennys (“idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness”), from āsolcen (“sulky, languid”), from past participle of Old English āseolcan (“be slow; be weak or slothful; languish”), from Proto-Germanic *selkaną (“to fall in drops; dribble; droop”), from Proto-Indo-European *sélǵ-o-nom, from *selǵ- (“to let go, send”). Cognate with several Indo-Iranian words deriving from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sarȷ́- (such as Sanskrit सृजति (sṛjáti), सर्जन (sárjana), सृक (sṛká)), possibly Hittite 𒊭𒀠𒀝𒍣 (ša-al-ak-zi /⁠šalkzi⁠/, “knead, mix”), although the semantic connection is weak.

Synonyms

mope

This word in other languages

enfurruñarse(Español)bouder(Français)schmollen(Deutsch)amuar(Português)

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 "sulk"?
"sulk" is spelled S-U-L-K. The IPA pronunciation is /sʌlk/.
What does "sulk" mean?
As a verb, "sulk" means: To express ill humor or offence by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn.
How do you pronounce "sulk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sulk" is /sʌlk/. 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 "sulk"?
Back-formation from sulky, of uncertain origin. Probably from Middle English *sulke, *solke (attested in solcenesse (“idleness; laziness”), from Old English āsolcennys (“idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness”), from āsolcen (“sulky, langu... 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 "sulk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tali#50,265sima#50,232Sani#50,210roti#50,205

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list