worst

/wɜːst/

//wɜːst// adj

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

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

The verdict

“worst” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,259 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,259
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - superlative form of bad: most bad

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

worst vs wot
60% similar
worst vs writ
60% similar
worst vs wort
80% similar

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

Key facts for worst
PropertyValue
Headwordworst
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/wɜːst/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,259
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “worst” 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). worst 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 worst is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wɜːst/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,259 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for worst, with forms such as "owrst", "worrst", and "worsst". 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, "wot", "writ", "wort", 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 worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”); compare worse. Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirs… The correct English form is worst, spelled W-O-R-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    superlative form of bad: most bad
  2. 2
    superlative form of bad: most bad
  3. 3
    superlative form of bad: most bad
  4. 4
    superlative form of bad: most bad

Etymology

From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”); compare worse. Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German wirst, wirsesto, wirsisto (“worst”), Danish værst (“worst”), Swedish värst (“worst”), Icelandic verstur (“worst”).

Synonyms

baddestpessimal

Antonyms

bestoptimal

This word in other languages

peor(Español)pire(Français)schlechteste(Deutsch)pior(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: owrst,worrst,worsst,worstt,worts,wosrt,wrost,wworst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of worst - 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.

owrst2worrst1worsst1worstt1worts2wosrt2wrost2wworst1
Edit distance from "worst"

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 "worst"?
"worst" is spelled W-O-R-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /wɜːst/.
What does "worst" mean?
As an adjective, "worst" means: superlative form of bad: most bad
What words are commonly confused with "worst"?
"worst" is commonly confused with "wot", "writ", "wort". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "worst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "worst" is /wɜːst/. 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 "worst"?
From Middle English worste, wurste, warste, werste, wirste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic *wirsistaz, superlative form of *ubilaz (“bad, evil”); compare worse. Cognate with Old Saxon wirsista, wirrista (“worst”), Old High German w... 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 “worst”

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

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