anodyne

/ˈæn.ə.daɪn/

//ˈæn.ə.daɪn// adj

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

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

The verdict

“anodyne” is uncommon English (frequency #76,531 among 35,202 “A” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,531
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of soothing or eliminating pain.

Key facts for anodyne
PropertyValue
Headwordanodyne
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈæn.ə.daɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#76,531
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anodyne” 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). anodyne lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

anodyne is uncommon English at frequency #76,531 among 35,202 “A” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈæn.ə.daɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for anodyne in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English anodine, from Medieval Latin anōdynos (“stilling or relieving pain”), from Ancient Greek ἀνώδυνος (anṓdunos, “free from pain”), from ἀν- (an-, “without”) + ὀδύνη (odúnē, “pain”). Adjective sense “noncontentious” probably through French a… The correct English form is anodyne, spelled A-N-O-D-Y-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Capable of soothing or eliminating pain.
  2. 2
    Soothing or relaxing.
  3. 3
    Noncontentious, blandly agreeable, unlikely to cause offence or debate.

Etymology

From Middle English anodine, from Medieval Latin anōdynos (“stilling or relieving pain”), from Ancient Greek ἀνώδυνος (anṓdunos, “free from pain”), from ἀν- (an-, “without”) + ὀδύνη (odúnē, “pain”). Adjective sense “noncontentious” probably through French anodin (“harmless, trivial”), of same origin.

This word in other languages

anodino(Español)apaisant(Français)schmerzstillend(Deutsch)anódino(Português)

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 "anodyne"?
"anodyne" is spelled A-N-O-D-Y-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæn.ə.daɪn/.
What does "anodyne" mean?
As an adjective, "anodyne" means: Capable of soothing or eliminating pain.
How do you pronounce "anodyne"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anodyne" is /ˈæn.ə.daɪn/. 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 "anodyne"?
From Middle English anodine, from Medieval Latin anōdynos (“stilling or relieving pain”), from Ancient Greek ἀνώδυνος (anṓdunos, “free from pain”), from ἀν- (an-, “without”) + ὀδύνη (odúnē, “pain”). Adjective sense “noncontentious” probably throug... 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 “anodyne”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-O-D-Y-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæn.ə.daɪn/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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