weigh

/weɪ/

//weɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“weigh” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,303. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,303
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To determine the weight of an object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-weigh · weigh · English

weigh · rank #7,303 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,303
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH violations

Nearest frequency peer: violations (-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 “weigh”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “weigh” 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).

weigh vs wig
60% similar
weigh vs with
60% similar
weigh vs wish
60% similar

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

Key facts for weigh
PropertyValue
Headwordweigh
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/weɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,303
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weigh” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).weighlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “violations” (#7,302), “whatsoever” (#7,304), “vector” (#7,301). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around weigh (IPA /weɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,303 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for weigh, with forms such as "ewigh", "wegih", and "weiggh". 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, "wig", "with", "wish", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti, from *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee, Dutch we… The correct English form is weigh, spelled W-E-I-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To determine the weight of an object.
  2. 2
    Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.
  3. 3
    To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.
  4. 4
    To judge; to estimate.
  5. 5
    To consider a subject.
  6. 6
    To have a certain weight.
  7. 7
    To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.
  8. 8
    To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.
  9. 9
    To raise an anchor free of the seabed.
  10. 10
    To weigh anchor.
  11. 11
    To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.
  12. 12
    To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He weighed out two kilos of oranges for a client.
  2. You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Etymology

From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti, from *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee, Dutch wegen, German wiegen, wägen, Danish veje, Norwegian Bokmål veie, Norwegian Nynorsk vega. Doublet of wedge, wagon, way, and vector.

This word in other languages

pesar(Español)peser(Français)wiegen(Deutsch)pesar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ewigh
  • wegih
  • weiggh
  • weighh
  • weihg
  • wiegh
  • wweigh

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewigh2wegih2weiggh1weighh1weihg2wiegh2wweigh1
Edit distance from "weigh"

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 "weigh"?
"weigh" is spelled W-E-I-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /weɪ/.
What does "weigh" mean?
As a verb, "weigh" means: To determine the weight of an object.
What words are commonly confused with "weigh"?
"weigh" is commonly confused with "wig", "with", "wish". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weigh"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weigh" is /weɪ/. 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 "weigh"?
From Middle English weyen, from Old English wegan, from Proto-West Germanic *wegan, from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéǵʰeti, from *weǵʰ- (“to bring, transport”). Cognates Cognate with Scots wey, wee... 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 "weigh", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

adapt#7,309straw#7,294steep#7,292Bryan#7,315

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Cohen7 variantsroller7 variantsremix7 variantsdense7 variants

What to do next

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

  • "weigh" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "wig". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #7,303 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