write

/ɹaɪt/

//ɹaɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“write” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,008 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,008
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

write vs wrote
80% similar
write vs writer
83% similar
write vs writes
83% similar

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

Key facts for write
PropertyValue
Headwordwrite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɹaɪt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,008
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “write” 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). write 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 write is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹaɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,008 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for write, with forms such as "rwite", "wirte", and "wriet". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "wrote", "writer", "writes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”). Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, tear”), Dut… The correct English form is write, spelled W-R-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate.
  2. 2
    To be the author of (a book, article, poem, etc.).
  3. 3
    To compose and send written information (to).
  4. 4
    To compose and send (written information or a written message, e.g. a letter) to.
  5. 5
    To compose and send (written information or a written message, e.g. a letter) to.
  6. 6
    To show (information, etc) in written form.
  7. 7
    To be an author.
  8. 8
    To record data mechanically or electronically.
  9. 9
    To fill in, to complete using words.
  10. 10
    To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave.
  11. 11
    To make known by writing; to record; to prove by one's own written testimony; often used reflexively.
  12. 12
    To sell (an option or other derivative).
  13. 13
    To paint a religious icon or a pysanka egg.

Etymology

From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”). Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, tear”), Dutch wrijten (“to argue, quarrel”), Middle Low German wrîten (“to scratch, draw, write”) (> Low German wrieten, rieten (“to tear, split”)), German reißen (“to tear, rip”), Norwegian rita (“to rough-sketch, carve, write”), Swedish rita (“to draw, design, delineate, model”), Icelandic rita (“to cut, scratch, write”), German ritzen (“to carve, scratch”), Proto-Slavic *ryti (“to carve, engrave, dig”), Polish ryć (“to engrave, dig”), Czech rýt (“to engrave, dig”). See also rit and rat.

Synonyms

inscribescrawlscribbleauthorpento postdisplayindicatemarkshowsavestoresitwrite

Antonyms

loadreadretrieve

This word in other languages

escribir(Español)écrire(Français)schreiben(Deutsch)escrever(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rwite,wirte,wriet,writte,wrrite,wrtie,wwrite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rwite2wirte2wriet2writte1wrrite1wrtie2wwrite1
Edit distance from "write"

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 "write"?
"write" is spelled W-R-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹaɪt/.
What does "write" mean?
As a verb, "write" means: To form letters, words or symbols on a surface in order to communicate.
What words are commonly confused with "write"?
"write" is commonly confused with "wrote", "writer", "writes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "write"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "write" is /ɹaɪt/. 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 "write"?
From Middle English writen, from Old English wrītan, from Proto-West Germanic *wrītan, from Proto-Germanic *wrītaną (“to carve, write”), from Proto-Indo-European *wrey- (“to rip, tear”). Cognate with West Frisian write (“to wear by rubbing, rip, t... 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 “write”

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

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