this
/ðɪs/
"this" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“this” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #15
- frequency rank, English
- 3,151
- “T” headwords
- 6
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - The (thing) here (used in indicating something or someone nearby).
Corpus desk
Index EN-this · this · English
this · rank #15 · 6 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-CORE #15
- LEN-MID 4 letters
- VOW-1 1 vowel
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-MID 6 variants
- BOOK-MID 3,151
- PHOTO-FINISH with
Nearest frequency peer: with (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “this”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- it
it
99,989 corpus weight
- on
on
99,988 corpus weight
- with
with
99,987 corpus weight
- this
this
99,986 corpus weight
- was
was
99,985 corpus weight
- be
be
99,984 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “this” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | this |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Determiner |
| IPA | /ðɪs/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 6 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “this” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 6 spelling variants around this (IPA /ðɪs/), adeterminer. Corpus frequency is #15 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for this, with forms such as "htis", "thhis", and "thiss". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ti", "TS", "tip", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English this, from Old English þis (neuter demonstrative), from North Sea Germanic base *þa- "that", from Proto-Germanic *þat, from Proto-Indo-European *tód, extended form of demonstrative base *to-; + North-West Germanic definitive suffix -s, f… The correct English form is this, spelled T-H-I-S.
Definition
- 1The (thing) here (used in indicating something or someone nearby).
- 2The (thing) here (used in indicating something or someone nearby).
- 3The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone just mentioned).
- 4The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone about to be mentioned).
- 5A known (thing) (used in first mentioning a person or thing that the speaker does not think is known to the audience). Compare with "a certain ...".
- 6Designates the current or next instance.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how this appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
This classroom is where I learned to read and write.
Right, boys, as much fun as this night has been, this girl is tired, so I'm gonna hit the hay.
Etymology
From Middle English this, from Old English þis (neuter demonstrative), from North Sea Germanic base *þa- "that", from Proto-Germanic *þat, from Proto-Indo-European *tód, extended form of demonstrative base *to-; + North-West Germanic definitive suffix -s, from Proto-Indo-European *só (“this, that”). Cognate with Scots this (“this”), Saterland Frisian dusse (“this”), West Frisian dizze (“this”), German dies, dieses (“this”), Old Gutnish þissi (“this”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- htis
- thhis
- thiss
- thsi
- tihs
- tthis
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of this - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "this", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).
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.