If something is odd, is it “weird” or “wierd”? This word is easy to get wrong, but this post will help you spell it correctly in your writing. Read on to find out more!
What Does Weird Mean?
“Weird” is an adjective that means “strange, unnatural, or unexpected”:
This milk tastes weird.
Is it weird that I talk to myself?
What was that weird noise?
The word comes from the Old English word wyrd, which meant “connected to fate or destiny,” such as the “weird sisters” in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Over time, though, “weird” lost its supernatural edge, so now we use it for anything that seems strange. The adverbial form of this word, meanwhile, is “weirdly.”
The Error: Wierd
The word is often misspelled as “wierd,” with the “e” and “i” the wrong way round. This may be because they’re following the “i before e, except after c” rule.
Typically, this is a decent guide for spelling (e.g., believe, yield, receipt, deceive). But “weird” is an exception! The correct spelling always has “-ei-” in the middle:
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I wish you would stop being so wierd. ✘
I wish you would stop being so weird. ✔
That wierd man is back. ✘
That weird man is back. ✔
In other words, “weird” is a word with a weird spelling!
Summary: Weird or Wierd?
“Weird” is an adjective that means “uncanny or strange.” People often misspell it as “wierd,” perhaps because they want to apply the “i before e” spelling rule. To avoid making this mistake, then, keep in mind that this word has a “weird” spelling!
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