aftercare

/ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/

//ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)// noun

"aftercare" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aftercare” is an uncommon English word, ranked #50,343 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#50,343
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The care given to a patient during recovery from an operation or after hospitalization.

Key facts for aftercare
PropertyValue
Headwordaftercare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#50,343
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aftercare” 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). aftercare 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 aftercare is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #50,343 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for aftercare, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From after- + care. The correct English form is aftercare, spelled A-F-T-E-R-C-A-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The care given to a patient during recovery from an operation or after hospitalization.
  2. 2
    Services and support offered to a customer for the goods or service they have purchased.
  3. 3
    Childcare services tending to children after the school day.
  4. 4
    Emotional support offered by the programme makers to a person who has appeared on a stressful television show.
  5. 5
    Tender affection and physical care given to a partner after an activity, usually to serve as a transition between the activity and whatever follows it.

Etymology

From after- + care.

This word in other languages

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 "aftercare"?
"aftercare" is spelled A-F-T-E-R-C-A-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/.
What does "aftercare" mean?
As a noun, "aftercare" means: The care given to a patient during recovery from an operation or after hospitalization.
How do you pronounce "aftercare"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aftercare" is /ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/. 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 "aftercare"?
From after- + care. 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 “aftercare”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-F-T-E-R-C-A-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑːf.tə(ɹ).kɛə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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