wicked

/ˈwɪkɪd/

//ˈwɪkɪd// adj

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

The verdict

“wicked” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,305. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,305
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Evil or mischievous by nature; morally reprehensible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wicked · wicked · English

wicked · rank #7,305 · 9 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,305
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH whatsoever

Nearest frequency peer: whatsoever (-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 “wicked”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “wicked” 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 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wicked vs wiped
67% similar
wicked vs wired
67% similar
wicked vs worked
67% similar

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

Key facts for wicked
PropertyValue
Headwordwicked
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɪkɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,305
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wicked” 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). wicked 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 wicked (IPA /ˈwɪkɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,305 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for wicked, with forms such as "iwcked", "wciked", and "wiccked". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "wiped", "wired", "worked", 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 wicked, wikked, an alteration of Middle English wicke, wikke (“morally perverse, evil, wicked”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from an adjectival use of Old English wiċċa (“wizard, sorcerer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“necromance… The correct English form is wicked, spelled W-I-C-K-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Evil or mischievous by nature; morally reprehensible.
  2. 2
    Harsh; severe.
  3. 3
    Excellent; awesome; masterful.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Genuine cowards follow wicked people and cannot reliably sustain any virtue.
  2. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bolde as a lyon.

Etymology

From Middle English wicked, wikked, an alteration of Middle English wicke, wikke (“morally perverse, evil, wicked”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from an adjectival use of Old English wiċċa (“wizard, sorcerer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“necromancer, sorcerer”), though the phonology makes this theory difficult to explain. Alternatively, perhaps related to English wicker, Old Norse víkja (“to bend to, yield, turn, move”), Swedish vika (“to bend, fold, give way to”), English weak. The "excellent, awesome" sense is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of "evil, mischievous". Compare similar semantic development in terrific and sick.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwcked
  • wciked
  • wiccked
  • wicekd
  • wickde
  • wickedd
  • wickked
  • wikced
  • wwicked

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwcked2wciked2wiccked1wicekd2wickde2wickedd1wickked1wikced2
Edit distance from "wicked"

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 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wicked"?
"wicked" is spelled W-I-C-K-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪkɪd/.
What does "wicked" mean?
As an adjective, "wicked" means: Evil or mischievous by nature; morally reprehensible.
What words are commonly confused with "wicked"?
"wicked" is commonly confused with "wiped", "wired", "worked". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wicked"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wicked" is /ˈwɪkɪd/. 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 "wicked"?
From Middle English wicked, wikked, an alteration of Middle English wicke, wikke (“morally perverse, evil, wicked”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from an adjectival use of Old English wiċċa (“wizard, sorcerer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wikkō (“... 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 "wicked", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

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

What to do next

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

  • "wicked" maps to 18 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "wiped". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #7,305 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "W" letter cohort. W–Z browse

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