afterlife

/ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/

//ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf// noun

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

The verdict

“afterlife” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,005 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,005
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A conscious existence after death; a supernatural life that follows one's natural life, in some worldviews.

Key facts for afterlife
PropertyValue
Headwordafterlife
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,005
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “afterlife” 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). afterlife 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 afterlife is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,005 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for afterlife, with forms such as "afetrlife", "affterlife", and "aftelrife". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From after- + life. The correct English form is afterlife, spelled A-F-T-E-R-L-I-F-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A conscious existence after death; a supernatural life that follows one's natural life, in some worldviews.
  2. 2
    The place believed to be inhabited by people who have died.
  3. 3
    The part of a person's life that follows a particular stage or event; later life.
  4. 4
    The effects of a person's actions, or their reputation, after death.
  5. 5
    The events or situations that result from a particular event; the later reception, consumption or reworking of something, especially a cultural production such as a film, book, etc.

Etymology

From after- + life.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afetrlife,affterlife,aftelrife,afterilfe,afterlfie,afterlief,afterliffe,afterllife,afterrlife,aftrelife,aftterlife,atferlife,faterlife

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of afterlife - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

afetrlife2affterlife1aftelrife2afterilfe2afterlfie2afterlief2afterliffe1afterllife1
Edit distance from "afterlife"

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 "afterlife"?
"afterlife" is spelled A-F-T-E-R-L-I-F-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/.
What does "afterlife" mean?
As a noun, "afterlife" means: A conscious existence after death; a supernatural life that follows one's natural life, in some worldviews.
What are common misspellings of "afterlife"?
Common misspellings include "afetrlife", "affterlife", "aftelrife", "afterilfe", "afterlfie". The correct spelling is "afterlife".
How do you pronounce "afterlife"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "afterlife" is /ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/. 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 "afterlife"?
From after- + life. 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 “afterlife”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-F-T-E-R-L-I-F-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑːftəˌlaɪf/ (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