wither

/ˈwɪðɚ/

//ˈwɪðɚ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“wither” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,431 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#28,431
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

wither vs within
67% similar
wither vs writer
67% similar
wither vs witted
67% similar

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

Key facts for wither
PropertyValue
Headwordwither
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈwɪðɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#28,431
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wither” 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). wither 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 wither is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪðɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,431 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for wither, with forms such as "iwther", "wihter", and "witehr". 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, "within", "writer", "witted", 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 widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Cognates From Proto-Germani… The correct English form is wither, spelled W-I-T-H-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
  2. 2
    To cause to shrivel or dry up.
  3. 3
    To lose vigour or power; to languish; to waste away; to pass away.
  4. 4
    To become helpless due to emotion.
  5. 5
    To make helpless due to emotion.

Etymology

From Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”). More at weather.

This word in other languages

marchitarse(Español)flétrir(Français)vertrocknen(Deutsch)mirrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iwther,wihter,witehr,witherr,withher,withre,witther,wtiher,wwither

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of wither - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

iwther2wihter2witehr2witherr1withher1withre2witther1wtiher2
Edit distance from "wither"

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 "wither"?
"wither" is spelled W-I-T-H-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪðɚ/.
What does "wither" mean?
As a verb, "wither" means: To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
What words are commonly confused with "wither"?
"wither" is commonly confused with "within", "writer", "witted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wither"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wither" is /ˈwɪðɚ/. 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 "wither"?
From Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Cognates From Pro... 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 “wither”

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

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