worth

/wɜːθ/

//wɜːθ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“worth” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #726 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#726
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

worth vs wot
60% similar
worth vs WTH
0% similar
worth vs wrath
60% similar

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

Key facts for worth
PropertyValue
Headwordworth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/wɜːθ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#726
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “worth” 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). worth 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 worth is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wɜːθ/. Corpus data places it at rank #726 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. 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 worth, with forms such as "owrth", "worht", and "worrth". 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", "WTH", "wrath", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English worth, from Old English weorþ, from Proto-West Germanic *werþ, from Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”); from Proto-Indo-European *wert-. Cognate with Scots wirth (“worth”), Cimbrian bèart (“worth, value”), Dutch waard, weerd (“w… The correct English form is worth, spelled W-O-R-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
  2. 2
    Deserving of.
  3. 3
    Valuable, worthwhile.
  4. 4
    Making a fair equivalent of, repaying or compensating.

Etymology

From Middle English worth, from Old English weorþ, from Proto-West Germanic *werþ, from Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”); from Proto-Indo-European *wert-. Cognate with Scots wirth (“worth”), Cimbrian bèart (“worth, value”), Dutch waard, weerd (“worth”), German wert (“worth”), Luxembourgish wäert (“worth”), Yiddish ווערט (vert), ווערד (verd, “worth, value”), Danish værd (“worth”), Faroese and Icelandic verður (“worth”), Norwegian Bokmål verdt (“worth”), Norwegian Nynorsk verd (“worth”), Swedish värd (“worth”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸 (wairþ, “worth, value”), Welsh gwerth (“worth, value”), Polish wart (“worth”), Ukrainian вартість (vartistʹ, “worth, value”).

This word in other languages

valioso(Español)équivalent(Français)Wert(Deutsch)equivalente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: owrth,worht,worrth,worthh,wortth,wotrh,wroth,wworth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

owrth2worht2worrth1worthh1wortth1wotrh2wroth2wworth1
Edit distance from "worth"

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 "worth"?
"worth" is spelled W-O-R-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /wɜːθ/.
What does "worth" mean?
As an adjective, "worth" means: Having a value of; proper to be exchanged for.
What words are commonly confused with "worth"?
"worth" is commonly confused with "wot", "WTH", "wrath". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "worth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "worth" is /wɜːθ/. 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 "worth"?
From Middle English worth, from Old English weorþ, from Proto-West Germanic *werþ, from Proto-Germanic *werþaz (“worthy, valuable”); from Proto-Indo-European *wert-. Cognate with Scots wirth (“worth”), Cimbrian bèart (“worth, value”), Dutch waard,... 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 “worth”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-O-R-T-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /wɜːθ/ (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. worth 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