affix

/ˈæf.ɪks/

//ˈæf.ɪks// noun

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

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

The verdict

“affix” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,191. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,191
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem, such as a prefix or suffix.

Corpus desk

Index EN-affix · affix · English

affix · rank #45,191 · 5 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,191
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH aerials

Nearest frequency peer: aerials (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “affix”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “affix” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

affix vs Alfie
40% similar
affix vs aff
60% similar
affix vs affair
67% similar

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

Key facts for affix
PropertyValue
Headwordaffix
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæf.ɪks/
Letters5
Frequency rank#45,191
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “affix”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).affixlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “aerials” (#45,190), “afoul” (#45,192), “Ahmadinejad” (#45,193). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “affix” is #45,191. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around affix (IPA /ˈæf.ɪks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,191 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for affix, with forms such as "affixx", "affxi", and "afifx". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Alfie", "aff", "affair", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere). By surface analysis, a(f)- + fix. The correct English form is affix, spelled A-F-F-I-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem, such as a prefix or suffix.
  2. 2
    That which is affixed; an appendage.
  3. 3
    The complex number a+bi associated with the point in the Gauss plane with coordinates (a,b).
  4. 4
    Any small feature, as a figure, a flower, or the like, added for ornament to a vessel or other utensil, to an architectural feature.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how affix appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A prefix is an affix that joins to the beginning of another word. Depending on the prefix, it can slightly or significantly alter the meaning of a word. For example, the English prefix “un-” changes a word into its opposite, as from “do” to “undo,” altering its meaning entirely.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere). By surface analysis, a(f)- + fix.

This word in other languages

afijo(Español)affixe(Français)Anhang(Deutsch)afixo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • affixx
  • affxi
  • afifx
  • afix
  • fafix

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of affix - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

affixx1affxi2afifx2afix1fafix2
Edit distance from "affix"

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 "affix"?
"affix" is spelled A-F-F-I-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæf.ɪks/.
What does "affix" mean?
As a noun, "affix" means: A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem, such as a prefix or suffix.
What words are commonly confused with "affix"?
"affix" is commonly confused with "Alfie", "aff", "affair". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "affix"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "affix" is /ˈæf.ɪks/. 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 "affix"?
Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere). By surface analysis, a(f)- + fix. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "affix", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

afoul#45,192addon#45,188Amara#45,200Beebe#45,225

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).

yore5 variantsassuage5 variantsvole5 variantsuric5 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list