sweep

/swiːp/

//swiːp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“sweep” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,507. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,507
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sweep · sweep · English

sweep · rank #7,507 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,507
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH suspicion

Nearest frequency peer: suspicion (-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 “sweep”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sweep” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sweep vs sweet
80% similar
sweep vs swept
60% similar
sweep vs swell
60% similar

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

Key facts for sweep
PropertyValue
Headwordsweep
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/swiːp/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,507
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sweep”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sweeplands 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 “suspicion” (#7,506), “tactical” (#7,508), “superintendent” (#7,505). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sweep” is #7,507. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around sweep (IPA /swiːp/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,507 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 18 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for sweep, with forms such as "sewep", "ssweep", and "sweepp". 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 also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "sweet", "swept", "swell", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic *swaipijaną. Cognate with Early Modern West Frisian swiepe (“whip, cleanse, sweep”), from Old Frisian swēpa, suepa (“sweep”). More distantly rel… The correct English form is sweep, spelled S-W-E-E-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
  2. 2
    To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke.
  3. 3
    To search (a place) methodically.
  4. 4
    To travel quickly.
  5. 5
    To play a sweep shot.
  6. 6
    To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less.
  7. 7
    To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom.
  8. 8
    To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
  9. 9
    To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series.
  10. 10
    To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines.
  11. 11
    To remove something abruptly and thoroughly.
  12. 12
    To brush against or over; to rub lightly along.
  13. 13
    To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion.
  14. 14
    To strike with a long stroke.
  15. 15
    To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side.
  16. 16
    To draw or drag something over.
  17. 17
    To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation.
  18. 18
    To vacuum a carpet or rug.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to sweep a floor, the street, or a chimney
  2. I will sweep it with the besom of destruction.

Etymology

From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic *swaipijaną. Cognate with Early Modern West Frisian swiepe (“whip, cleanse, sweep”), from Old Frisian swēpa, suepa (“sweep”). More distantly related to Old Norse sveipa (whence Swedish svepa). See also swoop.

This word in other languages

barrer(Español)balayer(Français)fegen(Deutsch)varrer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sewep
  • ssweep
  • sweepp
  • swep
  • swepe
  • swweep
  • wseep

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sewep2ssweep1sweepp1swep1swepe2swweep1wseep2
Edit distance from "sweep"

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 "sweep"?
"sweep" is spelled S-W-E-E-P. The IPA pronunciation is /swiːp/.
What does "sweep" mean?
As a verb, "sweep" means: To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush.
What words are commonly confused with "sweep"?
"sweep" is commonly confused with "sweet", "swept", "swell". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sweep"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sweep" is /swiːp/. 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 "sweep"?
From Middle English swepen, from Proto-West Germanic *swaipijan (unattested in Old English), from Proto-Germanic *swaipijaną. Cognate with Early Modern West Frisian swiepe (“whip, cleanse, sweep”), from Old Frisian swēpa, suepa (“sweep”). More dis... 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 "sweep", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

steak#7,503tumor#7,514scout#7,498sally#7,496

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

apples7 variantspoker7 variantsCasey7 variantscheek7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list