wedge

/wɛd͡ʒ/

//wɛd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wedge” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,715 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,715
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wedge vs wee
60% similar
wedge vs were
60% similar
wedge vs wide
60% similar

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

Key facts for wedge
PropertyValue
Headwordwedge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wɛd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,715
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wedge” 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). wedge 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 wedge is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wɛd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,715 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 21 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 wedge, with forms such as "ewdge", "wdege", and "weddge". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "wee", "were", "wide", 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 wegge (“wedge”), from Old English weċġ (“wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *wagi, from Proto-Germanic *wagjaz. The correct English form is wedge, spelled W-E-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, securing, or levering.
  2. 2
    A piece (of food, metal, wood etc.) having this shape.
  3. 3
    Something that creates a division, gap or distance between things.
  4. 4
    A five-sided polyhedron with a rectangular base, two rectangular or trapezoidal sides meeting in an edge, and two triangular ends.
  5. 5
    A voussoir, one of the wedge-shaped blocks forming an arch or vault.
  6. 6
    A flank of cavalry acting to split some portion of an opposing army, charging in an inverted V formation.
  7. 7
    A group of geese, swans, or other birds when they are in flight in a V formation.
  8. 8
    A type of iron club used for short, high trajectories.
  9. 9
    One of a pair of wedge-heeled shoes.
  10. 10
    An ingot.
  11. 11
    Silver or items made of silver collectively.
  12. 12
    A quantity of money.
  13. 13
    A sandwich made on a long, cylindrical roll.
  14. 14
    One of the basic elements that make up cuneiform writing, a single triangular impression made with the corner of a reed stylus.
  15. 15
    Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
  16. 16
    Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
  17. 17
    Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
  18. 18
    Any symbol shaped like a V in some given orientation.
  19. 19
    A barometric ridge; an elongated region of high atmospheric pressure between two low-pressure areas.
  20. 20
    A wedge tornado.
  21. 21
    A market trend characterized by a contracting range in prices coupled with an upward trend in prices (a rising wedge) or a downward trend in prices (a falling wedge).

Etymology

From Middle English wegge (“wedge”), from Old English weċġ (“wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *wagi, from Proto-Germanic *wagjaz.

Synonyms

skeinturned v

This word in other languages

cuña(Español)coin(Français)Keil(Deutsch)cunha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ewdge,wdege,weddge,wedeg,wedgge,wegde,wwedge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewdge2wdege2weddge1wedeg2wedgge1wegde2wwedge1
Edit distance from "wedge"

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 "wedge"?
"wedge" is spelled W-E-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /wɛd͡ʒ/.
What does "wedge" mean?
As a noun, "wedge" means: One of the simple machines; a piece of material, such as metal or wood, thick at one edge and tapered to a thin edge at the other for insertion in a narrow crevice, used for splitting, tightening, ...
What words are commonly confused with "wedge"?
"wedge" is commonly confused with "wee", "were", "wide". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wedge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wedge" is /wɛd͡ʒ/. 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 "wedge"?
From Middle English wegge (“wedge”), from Old English weċġ (“wedge”), from Proto-West Germanic *wagi, from Proto-Germanic *wagjaz. 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 “wedge”

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

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