widen

/ˈwaɪdn̩/

//ˈwaɪdn̩// verb

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

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

The verdict

“widen” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,113. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,113
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 become wide or wider.

Corpus desk

Index EN-widen · widen · English

widen · rank #21,113 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,113
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH Weinstein

Nearest frequency peer: Weinstein (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “widen”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “widen” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

widen vs win
60% similar
widen vs Wie
40% similar
widen vs wife
60% similar

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

Key facts for widen
PropertyValue
Headwordwiden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈwaɪdn̩/
Letters5
Frequency rank#21,113
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “widen”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).widenlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Weinstein” (#21,112), “widest” (#21,114), “wigs” (#21,115). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “widen” is #21,113. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around widen (IPA /ˈwaɪdn̩/), averb. Corpus frequency is #21,113 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for widen, with forms such as "iwden", "wdien", and "widden". 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, "win", "Wie", "wife", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -en (verbal suffix). The correct English form is widen, spelled W-I-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To become wide or wider.
  2. 2
    To make wide or wider.
  3. 3
    To let out clothes to a larger size.
  4. 4
    To broaden or extend in scope or range.
  5. 5
    To convert to a data type that can hold a larger number of distinct values.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His eyes widened as her negligee fell to the floor.
  2. The widening works include the rebuilding of the skew bridge near Northwood to take four tracks, and to enable the Rickmansworth Road to be widened to 60 ft.; […].

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -en (verbal suffix).

Synonyms

breadthenbroadenenwidenthickenwidenwidthen

Antonyms

lengthenshortenstraiten

This word in other languages

s’élargir(Français)erweitern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwden
  • wdien
  • widden
  • widenn
  • widne
  • wiedn
  • wwiden

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwden2wdien2widden1widenn1widne2wiedn2wwiden1
Edit distance from "widen"

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 "widen"?
"widen" is spelled W-I-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwaɪdn̩/.
What does "widen" mean?
As a verb, "widen" means: To become wide or wider.
What words are commonly confused with "widen"?
"widen" is commonly confused with "win", "Wie", "wife". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "widen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "widen" is /ˈwaɪdn̩/. 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 "widen"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -en (verbal suffix). 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 "widen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

uncut#21,107tweed#21,105timid#21,098suede#21,085

Similar misspelling depth

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

Vettel7 variantsapiece7 variantssnare7 variantsslade7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list