effeminate

/ɪˈfɛmɪnət/

//ɪˈfɛmɪnət// adj

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

"effeminate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“effeminate” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,675. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,675
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-effeminate · effeminate · English

effeminate · rank #40,675 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,675
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH EDA

Nearest frequency peer: EDA (-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 “effeminate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “effeminate” 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
Key facts for effeminate
PropertyValue
Headwordeffeminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈfɛmɪnət/
Letters10
Frequency rank#40,675
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “effeminate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).effeminatelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “EDA” (#40,674), “Eldon” (#40,676), “electrolysis” (#40,677). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “effeminate” is #40,675. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around effeminate (IPA /ɪˈfɛmɪnət/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,675 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for effeminate, with forms such as "efefminate", "efeminate", and "effeimnate". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English effeminat, effemynat, from Latin effēminātus, past participle of effēminō, from fēmina (“woman”). The correct English form is effeminate, spelled E-F-F-E-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.
  2. 2
    Womanly; tender, affectionate, caring.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. An effeminate and unmanly foppery.
  2. The Comte d'Artois had neither the dignified nor the manly air of his brother—he rather appeared like a pretty-looking girl, so effeminate was he and fair.

Etymology

From Middle English effeminat, effemynat, from Latin effēminātus, past participle of effēminō, from fēmina (“woman”).

Synonyms

campswishepiceneeffetefeminineunmanly

Antonyms

uneffeminatenoneffeminatenon-effeminate

This word in other languages

afeminado(Español)efféminé(Français)weibisch(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • efefminate
  • efeminate
  • effeimnate
  • effemiante
  • effeminaet
  • effeminatte
  • effeminnate
  • effemintae
  • effemminate
  • effemniate
  • effmeinate
  • fefeminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of effeminate - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

efefminate2efeminate1effeimnate2effemiante2effeminaet2effeminatte1effeminnate1effemintae2
Edit distance from "effeminate"

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 "effeminate"?
"effeminate" is spelled E-F-F-E-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈfɛmɪnət/.
What does "effeminate" mean?
As an adjective, "effeminate" means: Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.
What are common misspellings of "effeminate"?
Common misspellings include "efefminate", "efeminate", "effeimnate", "effemiante", "effeminaet". The correct spelling is "effeminate".
How do you pronounce "effeminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "effeminate" is /ɪˈfɛmɪnət/. 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 "effeminate"?
From Middle English effeminat, effemynat, from Latin effēminātus, past participle of effēminō, from fēmina (“woman”). 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 "effeminate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

distilling#40,662expandable#40,689geophysics#40,711Copernicus#40,629

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

dystopia12 variantsdivinely12 variantsexcision12 variantsexogenous12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list