afflict

/əˈflɪkt/

//əˈflɪkt// verb

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

"afflict" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“afflict” is uncommon English (frequency #57,204 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,204
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.

Corpus desk

Index EN-afflict · afflict · English

afflict · rank #57,204 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,204
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH affine

Nearest frequency peer: affine (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “afflict”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “afflict” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for afflict
PropertyValue
Headwordafflict
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈflɪkt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#57,204
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “afflict” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).afflictfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “affine” (#57,203), “agee” (#57,205), “agronomy” (#57,206). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “afflict” is #57,204. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

afflict is uncommon English at frequency #57,204 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈflɪkt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for afflict, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English afflicten (attested in past participle afflicte), from Latin afflictāre (“to damage, harass, torment”), frequentative of affligere (“to dash down, overthrow”). The correct English form is afflict, spelled A-F-F-L-I-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
  2. 2
    To strike or cast down; to overthrow; to result.
  3. 3
    To make low or humble.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
  2. Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

Etymology

From Middle English afflicten (attested in past participle afflicte), from Latin afflictāre (“to damage, harass, torment”), frequentative of affligere (“to dash down, overthrow”).

This word in other languages

afligir(Español)bekümmern(Deutsch)afligir(Português)

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 "afflict"?
"afflict" is spelled A-F-F-L-I-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈflɪkt/.
What does "afflict" mean?
As a verb, "afflict" means: To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
How do you pronounce "afflict"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "afflict" is /əˈflɪkt/. 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 "afflict"?
From Middle English afflicten (attested in past participle afflicte), from Latin afflictāre (“to damage, harass, torment”), frequentative of affligere (“to dash down, overthrow”). 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 "afflict", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Acheson#57,199Amerika#57,213Wilford#57,174Bechtel#57,235

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list