width

/ˈwɪtθ/

//ˈwɪtθ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“width” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,977. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,977
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being wide.

Corpus desk

Index EN-width · width · English

width · rank #6,977 · 8 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,977
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH warn

Nearest frequency peer: warn (-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 “width”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “width” 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).

width vs wit
60% similar
width vs WTH
0% similar
width vs with
80% similar

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

Key facts for width
PropertyValue
Headwordwidth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɪtθ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,977
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “width”

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).widthlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “warn” (#6,976), “workout” (#6,978), “voltage” (#6,975). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “width” is #6,977. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around width (IPA /ˈwɪtθ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,977 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for width, with forms such as "iwdth", "wdith", and "widdth". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "wit", "WTH", "with", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional … The correct English form is width, spelled W-I-D-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being wide.
  2. 2
    The measurement of the extent of something from side to side.
  3. 3
    A piece of material measured along its smaller dimension, especially fabric.
  4. 4
    The horizontal distance between a batsman and the ball as it passes him.
  5. 5
    The use of all the width of the pitch, from one side to the other.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Manchester United like to play with width.
  2. England looked to put width on the ball after the restart, Armitage very nearly going over in the corner only for the video referee to decide his foot was in touch. But Armitage did get on the score-sheet five minutes later, Ben Foden straightening and putting the London Irish man in.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the traditional dialect of Northern England, where one would expect Old Norse influence to be the strongest (these varieties traditionally employed wideness instead). Replaced Middle English wide, wyde (“width”).

Synonyms

breadthbroadnessthicknesswidenesswidth

Antonyms

length

This word in other languages

anchura(Español)grandeur(Français)Breite(Deutsch)largura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwdth
  • wdith
  • widdth
  • widht
  • widthh
  • widtth
  • witdh
  • wwidth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwdth2wdith2widdth1widht2widthh1widtth1witdh2wwidth1
Edit distance from "width"

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 "width"?
"width" is spelled W-I-D-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪtθ/.
What does "width" mean?
As a noun, "width" means: The state of being wide.
What words are commonly confused with "width"?
"width" is commonly confused with "wit", "WTH", "with". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "width"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "width" is /ˈwɪtθ/. 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 "width"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From wide + -th (abstract nominal suffix), possibly by analogy with Old Norse vídd (“width”), though this is unlikely, as the word is not attested before the end of the 16th century and was historically unknown in Scots and the tr... 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 "width", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

shelf#6,960ruins#6,959rider#6,957Derek#7,005

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

ritual8 variantspaths8 variantskeeper8 variantsliquor8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list