weakness

/ˈwiːk.nɪs/

//ˈwiːk.nɪs// noun

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

"weakness" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“weakness” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,282. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,282
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The condition of being weak.

Corpus desk

Index EN-weakness · weakness · English

weakness · rank #5,282 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,282
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH wasted

Nearest frequency peer: wasted (-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 “weakness”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “weakness” 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).

weakness vs wetness
75% similar
weakness vs wellness
75% similar
weakness vs weariness
78% similar

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

Key facts for weakness
PropertyValue
Headwordweakness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwiːk.nɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,282
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “weakness”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “wasted” (#5,281), “widespread” (#5,283), “uncomfortable” (#5,280). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “weakness” is #5,282. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around weakness (IPA /ˈwiːk.nɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,282 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for weakness, with forms such as "ewakness", "waekness", and "weakenss". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "wetness", "wellness", "weariness", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak + -ness. The correct English form is weakness, spelled W-E-A-K-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The condition of being weak.
  2. 2
    An inadequate quality; fault.
  3. 3
    A special fondness or obsessing desire.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: debility, frailty, vulnerability; vincibility
  2. In a small number of horses, muscle weakness may progress to paralysis.

Etymology

From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak + -ness.

This word in other languages

debilidad(Español)faiblesse(Français)Schwäche(Deutsch)fraqueza(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ewakness
  • waekness
  • weakenss
  • weakkness
  • weaknes
  • weaknness
  • weaknses
  • weankess
  • wekaness
  • wweakness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewakness2waekness2weakenss2weakkness1weaknes1weaknness1weaknses2weankess2
Edit distance from "weakness"

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 "weakness"?
"weakness" is spelled W-E-A-K-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwiːk.nɪs/.
What does "weakness" mean?
As a noun, "weakness" means: The condition of being weak.
What words are commonly confused with "weakness"?
"weakness" is commonly confused with "wetness", "wellness", "weariness". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weakness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weakness" is /ˈwiːk.nɪs/. 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 "weakness"?
From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak + -ness. 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 "weakness", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

advisory#5,289balanced#5,292basement#5,294situated#5,265

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

advised10 variantsceiling10 variantscollapse10 variantsqualify10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list