weak

/wiːk/

//wiːk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“weak” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #2,237) as an adjective. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#2,237
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.

Corpus desk

Index EN-weak · weak · English

weak · rank #2,237 · 4 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,237
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-LOW 4 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH sub

Nearest frequency peer: sub (-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 “weak”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “weak” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

weak vs web
50% similar
weak vs wet
50% similar
weak vs wee
50% similar

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

Key facts for weak
PropertyValue
Headwordweak
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/wiːk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,237
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weak” 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). weak lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for weak is neighbouring look-alikes ("web", "wet", …), not just typos; it is anadjective pronounced /wiːk/. Frequency #2,237 among 1,759 “W” headwords. 19 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for weak, with forms such as "ewak", "weakk", and "weka". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "web", "wet", "wee", 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 weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisia… The correct English form is weak, spelled W-E-A-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
  2. 2
    Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.
  3. 3
    Limp, soft.
  4. 4
    Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
  5. 5
    Having a strong, irrepressible emotional love for someone or (less often) something; sentimentally affected by such love.
  6. 6
    Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.
  7. 7
    Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
  8. 8
    Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
  9. 9
    Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
  10. 10
    That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.
  11. 11
    One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
  12. 12
    Bad or uncool.
  13. 13
    Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)
  14. 14
    Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
  15. 15
    Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
  16. 16
    Lacking in vigour or expression.
  17. 17
    Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
  18. 18
    Tending towards lower prices.
  19. 19
    Lacking contrast.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The child was too weak to move the boulder.
  2. They easily guessed his weak computer password.

Etymology

From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English wīcan (“to yield”). Doublet of week and wick.

Synonyms

feeblefrailpowerlessvincibleassailablevulnerabledilutewateryanemicbreakablebroken-downdamageddebilitateddecrepitdelicatedicklesseffeteenervatedenfeebledexhaustedfaintflimsyfragileharmedhurtimpairedimpotentinfirminjuredlanguidlowprostratedprostratepunyraddledresistlesssappedslightsoftsoftenedsusceptibletendertiredtorpidunresistantwastedweakweakenedwearyweedywimpyworn outyielding

Antonyms

healthypowerfulrobuststronginvinciblepotentrobuststrongstrongable-bodiedathleticbeefybrawnycapablecompetentdurablefirmfitfortifiedhalehardenedhardymightymuscularpuissantruggedsinewysoundstalwartstoutstrappingstrengthenedsturdytoughenedtoughvigorousvirilevitalized

This word in other languages

débil(Español)faible(Français)schwach(Deutsch)fraco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ewak
  • weakk
  • weka
  • wweak

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of weak - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ewak2weakk1weka2wweak1
Edit distance from "weak"

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 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "weak"?
"weak" is spelled W-E-A-K. The IPA pronunciation is /wiːk/.
What does "weak" mean?
As an adjective, "weak" means: Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
What words are commonly confused with "weak"?
"weak" is commonly confused with "web", "wet", "wee". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weak"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weak" is /wiːk/. 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 "weak"?
From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English wāc (“weak, bendsome”), Saterl... 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 "weak", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Asia#2,243snow#2,231cook#2,248cute#2,249

What to do next

You've looked up "weak". Here's where to go from here.

  • "weak" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "web". View pair
  • 4 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,237 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "W" letter cohort. W–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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