weary

/ˈwɪə̯ɹi/

//ˈwɪə̯ɹi// adj

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

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

The verdict

“weary” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,887 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#12,887
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; tired; fatigued.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

weary vs wer
60% similar
weary vs wry
60% similar
weary vs were
60% similar

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

Key facts for weary
PropertyValue
Headwordweary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɪə̯ɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,887
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weary” 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). weary lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for weary is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪə̯ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,887 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for weary, with forms such as "ewary", "waery", and "wearry". 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, "wer", "wry", "were", 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 wery, weri, from Old English wēriġ (“weary”), from Proto-West Germanic *wōrīg, *wōrag (“weary”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian wuurich (“weary, tired”), West Frisian wurch (“tired”), Dutch dialectal wurrig (“exhausted”), Old Saxon wōrig… The correct English form is weary, spelled W-E-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; tired; fatigued.
  2. 2
    Having one's patience, relish, or contentment exhausted; tired; sick.
  3. 3
    Expressive of fatigue.
  4. 4
    Causing weariness; tiresome.

Etymology

From Middle English wery, weri, from Old English wēriġ (“weary”), from Proto-West Germanic *wōrīg, *wōrag (“weary”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian wuurich (“weary, tired”), West Frisian wurch (“tired”), Dutch dialectal wurrig (“exhausted”), Old Saxon wōrig (“weary”), Old High German wōrag, wuarag (“drunken”).

This word in other languages

cansado(Español)las(Français)müde(Deutsch)cansado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ewary,waery,wearry,wearyy,weayr,weray,wweary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of weary - 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.

ewary2waery2wearry1wearyy1weayr2weray2wweary1
Edit distance from "weary"

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 "weary"?
"weary" is spelled W-E-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪə̯ɹi/.
What does "weary" mean?
As an adjective, "weary" means: Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; tired; fatigued.
What words are commonly confused with "weary"?
"weary" is commonly confused with "wer", "wry", "were". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weary" is /ˈwɪə̯ɹi/. 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 "weary"?
From Middle English wery, weri, from Old English wēriġ (“weary”), from Proto-West Germanic *wōrīg, *wōrag (“weary”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian wuurich (“weary, tired”), West Frisian wurch (“tired”), Dutch dialectal wurrig (“exhausted”), Old S... 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.

Using “weary”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is W-E-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪə̯ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “wer” - see the side-by-side comparison. weary vs wer
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list