blaspheme

/ˌblæsˈfiːm/

//ˌblæsˈfiːm// verb

"blaspheme" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blaspheme” is uncommon English (frequency #78,415 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,415
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To commit blasphemy; to speak against God or religious doctrine.

Key facts for blaspheme
PropertyValue
Headwordblaspheme
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌblæsˈfiːm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#78,415
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blaspheme” 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). blaspheme 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

blaspheme is uncommon English at frequency #78,415 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌblæsˈfiːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for blaspheme, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English blasfemen, blasphemen, from Old French blasfemer, from Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek βλασφημέω (blasphēméō). Doublet of blame. The correct English form is blaspheme, spelled B-L-A-S-P-H-E-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To commit blasphemy; to speak against God or religious doctrine.
  2. 2
    To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred).
  3. 3
    To calumniate; to revile; to abuse.

Etymology

From Middle English blasfemen, blasphemen, from Old French blasfemer, from Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek βλασφημέω (blasphēméō). Doublet of blame.

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); 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 "blaspheme"?
"blaspheme" is spelled B-L-A-S-P-H-E-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌblæsˈfiːm/.
What does "blaspheme" mean?
As a verb, "blaspheme" means: To commit blasphemy; to speak against God or religious doctrine.
How do you pronounce "blaspheme"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blaspheme" is /ˌblæsˈfiːm/. 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 "blaspheme"?
From Middle English blasfemen, blasphemen, from Old French blasfemer, from Late Latin blasphēmāre, from Ancient Greek βλασφημέω (blasphēméō). Doublet of blame. 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 “blaspheme”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-A-S-P-H-E-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌblæsˈfiːm/ (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