aggrieve
/əˈɡɹiːv/
"aggrieve" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“aggrieve” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To cause someone to feel pain or sorrow to; to afflict
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | aggrieve |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /əˈɡɹiːv/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “aggrieve” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for aggrieve is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈɡɹiːv/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for aggrieve, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English agreven, from Old French agrever; a (Latin ad) + grever (“to burden, injure”), from Latin gravare (“to weigh down”), from gravis (“heavy”). See grieve, and compare with aggravate. The correct English form is aggrieve, spelled A-G-G-R-I-E-V-E.
Definition
- 1To cause someone to feel pain or sorrow to; to afflict
- 2To grieve; to lament.
Etymology
From Middle English agreven, from Old French agrever; a (Latin ad) + grever (“to burden, injure”), from Latin gravare (“to weigh down”), from gravis (“heavy”). See grieve, and compare with aggravate.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “aggrieve”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-G-G-R-I-E-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈɡɹiːv/ (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.