with

/wɪð/

//wɪð// prep

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

"with" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“with” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #14 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#14
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Against.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

with vs wt
50% similar
with vs WTF
0% similar
with vs WTO
0% similar

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

Key facts for with
PropertyValue
Headwordwith
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/wɪð/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “with” 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). with 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 with is 4 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wɪð/. Corpus data places it at rank #14 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for with, with forms such as "iwth", "wiht", and "withh". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "wt", "WTF", "WTO", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English with, from Old English wiþ (“against, opposite, toward, with”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþi, a shortened form of Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against”). In Middle English, the word shifted to denote association rather than opposition, disp… The correct English form is with, spelled W-I-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Against.
  2. 2
    In the company of; alongside, close to; near to.
  3. 3
    In addition to; as an accessory to.
  4. 4
    Used to add supplemental information, especially to indicate simultaneous happening, or immediate succession or consequence.
  5. 5
    In support of.
  6. 6
    In regard to.
  7. 7
    To denote the accomplishment of cause, means, instrument, etc; – sometimes equivalent to by.
  8. 8
    Using as an instrument; by means of.
  9. 9
    Using as nourishment; more recently replaced by on.
  10. 10
    Having, owning.
  11. 11
    Affected by (a certain emotion or condition).
  12. 12
    Prompted by (a certain emotion).
  13. 13
    In the employment of.
  14. 14
    Considering; taking into account.
  15. 15
    Keeping up with; understanding; following along.

Etymology

From Middle English with, from Old English wiþ (“against, opposite, toward, with”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþi, a shortened form of Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against”). In Middle English, the word shifted to denote association rather than opposition, displacing Middle English mid (“with”), from Old English mid (“with”), from Proto-Germanic *midi; an earlier model of this meaning shift exists in cognate Old Norse við; elsewhere, the converse meaning shift is exemplified by Old South Arabian 𐩨𐩺𐩬 (byn, “between, amid”) spawning Old South Arabian 𐩨𐩬 (bn, “against”) and even likewise frequent reverse meaning 𐩨𐩬 (bn, “from”). The adverb sense is probably a semantic loan from various other Germanic languages, such as German mit, Norwegian med, and Swedish med.

Synonyms

w/c̄alongsidehavingholdingincludingwith

Antonyms

withoutagainst

This word in other languages

con(Español)avec(Français)mit(Deutsch)com(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iwth,wiht,withh,witth,wtih,wwith

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwth2wiht2withh1witth1wtih2wwith1
Edit distance from "with"

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 "with"?
"with" is spelled W-I-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪð/.
What does "with" mean?
As a preposition, "with" means: Against.
What words are commonly confused with "with"?
"with" is commonly confused with "wt", "WTF", "WTO". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "with"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "with" is /wɪð/. 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 "with"?
From Middle English with, from Old English wiþ (“against, opposite, toward, with”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþi, a shortened form of Proto-Germanic *wiþrą (“against”). In Middle English, the word shifted to denote association rather than opposi... 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 “with”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-T-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /wɪð/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “wt” - see the side-by-side comparison. with vs wt
  • 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