# wield

> English word · Verb · IPA /wiːld/ · frequency rank #22,267

## Definitions
1. To handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
2. To exercise (authority or influence) effectively.
3. To command, rule over; to possess or own.
4. To control, to guide or manage.
5. To carry out, to bring about.

## Etymology
From Middle English welden, from the merger of Old English wealdan (“to control, rule”) (strong class 7) and Old English wieldan (“to control, subdue”) (weak). Both verbs derive from Proto-West Germanic *waldan and *waldijan, respectively; and are ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to rule”).
The reason for the merger was that in Middle English the -d in the stem made it hard to distinguish between strong and weak forms in the past tense.

## Easily confused with
- **will** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-will)
- **wind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wind)
- **wild** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wild)
- **wilt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wilt)
- **wily** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wily)
- **Wien** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wien)
- **wold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wold)
- **wile** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wile)
- **would** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-would)
- **world** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-world)
- **wiped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wiped)
- **wired** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wired)
- **Wills** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wills)
- **willy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-willy)
- **Wilde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wilde)
- **wilds** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wilds)
- **Willa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-willa)
- **Willi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-willi)
- **wisely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-wisely)
- **willed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wield-vs-willed)

## Common misspellings (6)
`iweld`, `weild`, `wiedl`, `wieldd`, `wielld`, `wwield`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wield