weird

/ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/

//ˈwɪə(ɹ)d// adj

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

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

The verdict

“weird” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,653 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,653
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having an unusually strange character or behaviour.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

weird vs wer
60% similar
weird vs wid
60% similar
weird vs were
60% similar

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

Key facts for weird
PropertyValue
Headwordweird
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,653
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “weird” 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). weird 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 weird is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,653 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 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 weird, with forms such as "ewird", "weidr", and "weirdd". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "wer", "wid", "were", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English werde, wierde, wirde, wyrede, wurde, from Old English wyrd (“fate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wurdi, from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with Icelandic urður (“fate”). Related to Old E… The correct English form is weird, spelled W-E-I-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having an unusually strange character or behaviour.
  2. 2
    Deviating from the normal; bizarre.
  3. 3
    Relating to weird fiction ("a macabre subgenre of speculative fiction").
  4. 4
    Of or pertaining to the Fates.
  5. 5
    Connected with fate or destiny; able to influence fate.
  6. 6
    Of or pertaining to witches or witchcraft; supernatural; unearthly; suggestive of witches, witchcraft, or unearthliness; wild; uncanny.
  7. 7
    Having supernatural or preternatural power.

Etymology

From Middle English werde, wierde, wirde, wyrede, wurde, from Old English wyrd (“fate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wurdi, from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with Icelandic urður (“fate”). Related to Old English weorþan (“to become”). Doublet of wyrd. More at worth. Obsolete by the 16th century in English, but reintroduced from Middle Scots weird, whence Shakespeare borrowed it in naming the Weird Sisters (originally Weyward Sisters, the Three Witches), reintroducing it to English. The senses “abnormal”, “strange” etc. arose via reinterpretation of Weird Sisters and date from after this reintroduction.

This word in other languages

raro(Español)bizarre(Français)seltsam(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ewird,weidr,weirdd,weirrd,werid,wierd,wweird

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ewird2weidr2weirdd1weirrd1werid2wierd2wweird1
Edit distance from "weird"

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 "weird"?
"weird" is spelled W-E-I-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/.
What does "weird" mean?
As an adjective, "weird" means: Having an unusually strange character or behaviour.
What words are commonly confused with "weird"?
"weird" is commonly confused with "wer", "wid", "were". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "weird"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "weird" is /ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/. 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 "weird"?
From Middle English werde, wierde, wirde, wyrede, wurde, from Old English wyrd (“fate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wurdi, from Proto-Germanic *wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with Icelandic urður (“fate”). Relate... 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 “weird”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-E-I-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪə(ɹ)d/ (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. weird 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