wed

/ˈwɛd/

//ˈwɛd// verb

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

"wed" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wed” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,997 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,997
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wed vs wi
33% similar
wed vs Wu
0% similar
wed vs wo
33% similar

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

Key facts for wed
PropertyValue
Headwordwed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈwɛd/
Letters3
Frequency rank#11,997
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wed” 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). wed 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 wed is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɛd/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,997 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for wed, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "wi", "Wu", "wo", 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 wedden, weddien, from Old English weddian (“to pledge; wed”), from Proto-West Germanic *waddjōn, from Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge”), from *wadją (“pledge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge”). Cognate with S… The correct English form is wed, spelled W-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.
  2. 2
    To take as one's spouse.
  3. 3
    To take a spouse.
  4. 4
    To take each other as a spouse.
  5. 5
    To join or commit to, more or less permanently, as if in marriage.
  6. 6
    To take to oneself and support; to espouse.
  7. 7
    To wager, stake, bet, place a bet, make a wager.

Etymology

From Middle English wedden, weddien, from Old English weddian (“to pledge; wed”), from Proto-West Germanic *waddjōn, from Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge”), from *wadją (“pledge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge”). Cognate with Scots wed, wod, wad (“to wed”), Saterland Frisian wädje (“to bet, wager”), West Frisian wedzje (“to bet, wager”), Low German and Dutch wedden (“to bet”), German wetten (“to bet”), Danish vædde (“to bet”), Swedish vädja (“to appeal”), Icelandic veðja (“to bet”); more distantly, to Sanskrit वधू (vadhū́, “bride”). Related also to gage, engage, and wage.

Synonyms

marry

This word in other languages

casar(Español)marier(Français)trauen(Deutsch)

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 "wed"?
"wed" is spelled W-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɛd/.
What does "wed" mean?
As a verb, "wed" means: To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in matrimony.
What words are commonly confused with "wed"?
"wed" is commonly confused with "wi", "Wu", "wo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wed" is /ˈwɛd/. 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 "wed"?
From Middle English wedden, weddien, from Old English weddian (“to pledge; wed”), from Proto-West Germanic *waddjōn, from Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge”), from *wadją (“pledge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge”). Cogn... 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 “wed”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɛd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “wi” - see the side-by-side comparison. wed vs wi
  • 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