embellish

/ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/

//ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“embellish” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,897. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,897
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-embellish · embellish · English

embellish · rank #49,897 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,897
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elephant's

Nearest frequency peer: elephant's (-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 “embellish”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “embellish” 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 embellish
PropertyValue
Headwordembellish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#49,897
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “embellish”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).embellishlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “elephant's” (#49,896), “endeared” (#49,898), “electromechanical” (#49,895). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “embellish” is #49,897. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around embellish (IPA /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #49,897 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for embellish, with forms such as "ebmellish", "embbellish", and "embelilsh". 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 its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel. The correct English form is embellish, spelled E-M-B-E-L-L-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.
  2. 2
    To enhance by adding something not strictly integral or necessary.
  3. 3
    To make something sound or look better or more acceptable than it is in reality; to distort, embroider, or even misrepresent or lie.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The old book cover was embellished with golden letters
  2. He was a notable patron of the arts who lavishly embellished his royal residences and rebuilt and enlarged Westminster Abbey, destined as the burialplace of himself and many of his successors, in honor of his patron saint, Edward the Confessor.

Etymology

From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel.

Synonyms

adornbeautifydecoratedeckgraceornamentprettify

This word in other languages

embellecer(Español)embellir(Français)bereichern(Deutsch)embelezar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ebmellish
  • embbellish
  • embelilsh
  • embelish
  • embellihs
  • embellishh
  • embellissh
  • embellsih
  • emblelish
  • emebllish
  • emmbellish
  • mebellish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of embellish - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ebmellish2embbellish1embelilsh2embelish1embellihs2embellishh1embellissh1embellsih2
Edit distance from "embellish"

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 "embellish"?
"embellish" is spelled E-M-B-E-L-L-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/.
What does "embellish" mean?
As a verb, "embellish" means: To make more beautiful and attractive by adding ornamentation; to decorate.
What are common misspellings of "embellish"?
Common misspellings include "ebmellish", "embbellish", "embelilsh", "embelish", "embellihs". The correct spelling is "embellish".
How do you pronounce "embellish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "embellish" is /ɪmˈbɛlɪʃ/. 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 "embellish"?
From Middle English embelishen, from Old French embellir, from em- + bel. 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 "embellish", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ejaculate#49,893eroticism#49,903disinfect#49,873contorted#49,842

Similar misspelling depth

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

entrails12 variantsfreakish12 variantsGoldwyn12 variantscommuniqué12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list