apocryphal
/əˈpɒkɹɪfəl/
"apocryphal" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“apocryphal” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,508 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #43,508
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | apocryphal |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /əˈpɒkɹɪfəl/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #43,508 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “apocryphal” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for apocryphal is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɒkɹɪfəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,508 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for apocryphal, with forms such as "aopcryphal", "apcoryphal", and "apoccryphal". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From apocrypha + -al. The correct English form is apocryphal, spelled A-P-O-C-R-Y-P-H-A-L.
Definition
- 1Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha.
- 2Of doubtful authenticity, or lacking authority; not regarded as canonical.
- 3Of dubious veracity; of questionable accuracy or truthfulness; anecdotal or in the nature of an urban legend.
Etymology
From apocrypha + -al.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aopcryphal,apcoryphal,apoccryphal,apocrpyhal,apocrryphal,apocryhpal,apocrypahl,apocryphall,apocryphhal,apocryphla,apocrypphal,apocryyphal,apocyrphal,aporcyphal,appocryphal,paocryphal
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of apocryphal - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "apocryphal"?
What does "apocryphal" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “apocryphal”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-P-O-C-R-Y-P-H-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈpɒkɹɪfəl/ (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.