weight

/weɪt/

//weɪt// noun

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

"weight" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“weight” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,036. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,036
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The downwards force an object experiences due to gravity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-weight · weight · English

weight · rank #1,036 · 9 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,036
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH watching

Nearest frequency peer: watching (-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 “weight”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “weight” 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).

weight vs wight
83% similar
weight vs wright
83% similar
weight vs weights
86% similar

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

Key facts for weight
PropertyValue
Headwordweight
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/weɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,036
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weight” 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). weight lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around weight (IPA /weɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,036 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 24 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for weight, with forms such as "ewight", "wegiht", and "weigght". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "wight", "wright", "weights", 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 weight, weiȝte, weght, wight, from Old English wiht, ġewiht (“weight”), from Proto-Germanic *wihtiz ("weight"; compare *weganą (“to move”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move; pull; draw; drive”). Equivalent to weigh + -t (abstra… The correct English form is weight, spelled W-E-I-G-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The downwards force an object experiences due to gravity.
  2. 2
    An object used to make something heavier.
  3. 3
    A standardized block of metal used in a balance to measure the mass of another object.
  4. 4
    Importance or influence.
  5. 5
    An object, such as a weight plate or barbell, used for strength training.
  6. 6
    An object, such as a weight plate or barbell, used for strength training.
  7. 7
    Viscosity rating.
  8. 8
    Mass (atomic weight, molecular weight, etc.) (in restricted circumstances).
  9. 9
    Synonym of mass (in general circumstances).
  10. 10
    Mass (net weight, troy weight, carat weight, etc.).
  11. 11
    A variable which multiplies a value for ease of statistical manipulation.
  12. 12
    The smallest cardinality of a base.
  13. 13
    The boldness of a font; the relative thickness of its strokes.
  14. 14
    The relative thickness of a drawn rule or painted brushstroke, line weight.
  15. 15
    The illusion of mass.
  16. 16
    The thickness and opacity of paint.
  17. 17
    The thickness of yarn.
  18. 18
    Pressure; burden.
  19. 19
    The resistance against which a machine acts, as opposed to the power which moves it.
  20. 20
    Shipments of (often illegal) drugs.
  21. 21
    One pound of drugs, especially cannabis.
  22. 22
    Money.
  23. 23
    Weight class
  24. 24
    Emphasis applied to a given criterion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I liked the man for his own sake, and even had he promised to turn out a celebrity it would have had no weight with me. I look upon notoriety with the same indifference as on the buttons on a man's shirt-front, or the crest on his note-paper.
  2. Another knight came to settle on the island, a man of much weight and position, on whom the Adelantados of all the island relied, and who was made a magistrate.

Etymology

From Middle English weight, weiȝte, weght, wight, from Old English wiht, ġewiht (“weight”), from Proto-Germanic *wihtiz ("weight"; compare *weganą (“to move”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move; pull; draw; drive”). Equivalent to weigh + -t (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Scots wecht, weicht (“weight”), Saterland Frisian Wächte (“scale”), Gewicht (“weight”), West Frisian gewicht (“weight”), Dutch gewicht (“weight”), German Low German Wicht, Gewicht (“weight”), German Wucht (“massiveness, force”), Gewicht (“weight”).

This word in other languages

peso(Español)poids(Français)Gewicht(Deutsch)haltere(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ewight
  • wegiht
  • weigght
  • weighht
  • weightt
  • weigth
  • weihgt
  • wieght
  • wweight

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewight2wegiht2weigght1weighht1weightt1weigth2weihgt2wieght2
Edit distance from "weight"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "weight"?
"weight" is spelled W-E-I-G-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is /weɪt/.
What does "weight" mean?
As a noun, "weight" means: The downwards force an object experiences due to gravity.
What words are commonly confused with "weight"?
"weight" is commonly confused with "wight", "wright", "weights". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weight"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weight" is /weɪt/. 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 "weight"?
From Middle English weight, weiȝte, weght, wight, from Old English wiht, ġewiht (“weight”), from Proto-Germanic *wihtiz ("weight"; compare *weganą (“to move”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move; pull; draw; drive”). Equivalent to weigh + ... 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 "weight", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

double#1,049expect#1,050moving#1,022island#1,052

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

committee9 variantsnormal9 variantsexcept9 variantscharge9 variants

What to do next

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

  • "weight" maps to 9 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "wight". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,036 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