amplify

/ˈæm.plə.faɪ/

//ˈæm.plə.faɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“amplify” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,454. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,454
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To render larger, more extended, or more intense.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amplify · amplify · English

amplify · rank #23,454 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #23,454
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Amor

Nearest frequency peer: Amor (-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 “amplify”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “amplify” 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).

amplify vs amply
71% similar

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

Key facts for amplify
PropertyValue
Headwordamplify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈæm.plə.faɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#23,454
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “amplify”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Amor” (#23,453), “anorexia” (#23,455), “alienation” (#23,451). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amplify” is #23,454. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around amplify (IPA /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #23,454 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for amplify, with forms such as "amlpify", "ammplify", and "ampilfy". 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 also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "amply", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English amplifiyen, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificare (“to enlarge”), from amplus (“large”) + facere (“to make”). See ample , equivalent to ample + -ify. The correct English form is amplify, spelled A-M-P-L-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To render larger, more extended, or more intense.
  2. 2
    To enlarge by addition or commenting; to treat copiously by adding particulars, illustrations, etc.; to expand.
  3. 3
    To increase the amplitude of something, especially of an electric current.
  4. 4
    To add content that is not present in the source text to the target text, usually to improve the fluency of the translation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. amplify the loudspeaker
  2. amplify a telescope

Etymology

From Middle English amplifiyen, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificare (“to enlarge”), from amplus (“large”) + facere (“to make”). See ample , equivalent to ample + -ify.

This word in other languages

amplificar(Español)amplifier(Français)verstärken(Deutsch)amplificar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • amlpify
  • ammplify
  • ampilfy
  • amplfiy
  • ampliffy
  • amplifyy
  • ampliyf
  • ampllify
  • ampplify
  • apmlify
  • maplify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of amplify - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

amlpify2ammplify1ampilfy2amplfiy2ampliffy1amplifyy1ampliyf2ampllify1
Edit distance from "amplify"

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 "amplify"?
"amplify" is spelled A-M-P-L-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/.
What does "amplify" mean?
As a verb, "amplify" means: To render larger, more extended, or more intense.
What words are commonly confused with "amplify"?
"amplify" is commonly confused with "amply". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "amplify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amplify" is /ˈæm.plə.faɪ/. 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 "amplify"?
From Middle English amplifiyen, from Old French amplifier, from Latin amplificare (“to enlarge”), from amplus (“large”) + facere (“to make”). See ample , equivalent to ample + -ify. 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 "amplify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Aladdin#23,449bailout#23,468Balfour#23,469ballast#23,471

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

bottling11 variantsBrigham11 variantstwinkle11 variantschipping11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list