anabolic

/ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/

//ˌænəˈbɑlɪk// adj

"anabolic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anabolic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,722 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#38,722
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to anabolism.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

anabolic vs Anatolia
63% similar

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

Key facts for anabolic
PropertyValue
Headwordanabolic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#38,722
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anabolic” 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). anabolic 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 anabolic is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,722 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Of or relating to anabolism.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for anabolic, with forms such as "aanbolic", "anabbolic", and "anabloic". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Anatolia", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”) + -ic. The correct English form is anabolic, spelled A-N-A-B-O-L-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to anabolism.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”) + -ic.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aanbolic,anabbolic,anabloic,anaboilc,anabolci,anabolicc,anabollic,anaoblic,anbaolic,annabolic,naabolic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anabolic - 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.

aanbolic2anabbolic1anabloic2anaboilc2anabolci2anabolicc1anabollic1anaoblic2
Edit distance from "anabolic"

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 "anabolic"?
"anabolic" is spelled A-N-A-B-O-L-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/.
What does "anabolic" mean?
As an adjective, "anabolic" means: Of or relating to anabolism.
What words are commonly confused with "anabolic"?
"anabolic" is commonly confused with "Anatolia". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "anabolic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anabolic" is /ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/. 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 "anabolic"?
From Ancient Greek ἀνα- (ana-, “up”) + βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”) + -ic. 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 “anabolic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-A-B-O-L-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌænəˈbɑlɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Anatolia” - see the side-by-side comparison. anabolic vs Anatolia
  • 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