The word "writhed" is spelled with a silent "e" after the letter "t", which serves to lengthen the sound of the vowel "i" in the word. The IPA phonetic transcription for "writhed" is /raɪðd/. The "r" sound at the beginning is pronounced as a voiced alveolar fricative, followed by the "ai" diphthong which consists of a long "i" sound that glides into a schwa. The "th" sound in "writhed" is pronounced as a voiceless dental fricative, and the word ends with a voiced dental plosive "d".
Writhed is a verb that refers to the physical act of twisting, contorting or squirming in pain, discomfort, or agony. It is commonly used to describe the involuntary movements of the body when experiencing severe physical distress.
When someone writhes, their body often moves in a manner that portrays their attempt to find relief or escape from an uncomfortable or painful situation. These movements are often characterized by a series of twisting, turning, or convulsive motions, indicating the intensity of the physical discomfort being felt. Writhing can involve various parts of the body, such as the face, limbs, or torso, depending on the source of the pain or distress.
This word can be used to describe both humans and animals, as both possess the ability to show distress through physical movements. For instance, a person experiencing severe abdominal pain may writhe in their bed, while an injured animal might writhe on the ground when attempting to flee from danger. It is important to note, however, that writhing typically indicates suffering or discomfort rather than intentional movement.
In a figurative sense, the word "writhed" can also be used to describe extreme emotional or mental anguish. It implies a state of intense internal turmoil or distress, in which an individual feels emotionally twisted or tormented.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "writhed" is derived from the Old English verb "wrīthan", meaning "to twist or turn with a contorted motion". This Old English term is believed to have Germanic roots and is related to words such as the Old High German "rīdan" and the Old Norse "rītha", both carrying a similar meaning. Over time, the word "wrīthan" evolved into "writhen" and eventually turned into the modern form "writhed".