withersake
/ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/
"withersake" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“withersake” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An apostate or perfidious renegade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | withersake |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “withersake” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for withersake is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "An apostate or perfidious renegade.".
No misspelling variants are generated for withersake in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English withersake, from Old English wiþersaca (“adversary, enemy; betrayer; apostate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþrasakō, equivalent to wither- (“against”) + sake. Cognate with Middle High German widersache, Modern German Widersacher (“adver… The correct English form is withersake, spelled W-I-T-H-E-R-S-A-K-E.
Definition
- 1An apostate or perfidious renegade.
Etymology
From Middle English withersake, from Old English wiþersaca (“adversary, enemy; betrayer; apostate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþrasakō, equivalent to wither- (“against”) + sake. Cognate with Middle High German widersache, Modern German Widersacher (“adversary, opponent, antagonist, foe”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “withersake”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is W-I-T-H-E-R-S-A-K-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)ˌseɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.