emphysema

/ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/

//ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“emphysema” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,681. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,681
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An abnormal accumulation of air or other gas in tissues, most commonly the lungs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-emphysema · emphysema · English

emphysema · rank #40,681 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,681
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH emotionless

Nearest frequency peer: emotionless (-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 “emphysema”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “emphysema” 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 emphysema
PropertyValue
Headwordemphysema
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#40,681
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “emphysema”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).emphysemalands 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 “emotionless” (#40,680), “endometriosis” (#40,682), “Eritrean” (#40,684). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “emphysema” is #40,681. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around emphysema (IPA /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,681 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for emphysema, with forms such as "emhpysema", "emmphysema", and "emphhysema". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Multiple origins. Partially from post-Classical Latin emphȳsēma (“swelling”), from Ancient Greek ἐμφῡ́σημα (emphū́sēma), from ἐμφῡσάω (emphūsáō, “to puff up”). Also borrowed from Middle French emphysema, from the same Latin source; compare French emphysème.… The correct English form is emphysema, spelled E-M-P-H-Y-S-E-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abnormal accumulation of air or other gas in tissues, most commonly the lungs.
  2. 2
    Ellipsis of pulmonary emphysema, a chronic lung disease, one type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The panacinar emphysema shows higher compliance with lungs then the centriacinar emphysema 5 .
  2. His family announced the death on social media on Thursday, but provided no details. In 2024, Mr. Lynch announced that he had developed emphysema after years of smoking, and that as a result any subsequent films would have to be directed remotely.

Etymology

Multiple origins. Partially from post-Classical Latin emphȳsēma (“swelling”), from Ancient Greek ἐμφῡ́σημα (emphū́sēma), from ἐμφῡσάω (emphūsáō, “to puff up”). Also borrowed from Middle French emphysema, from the same Latin source; compare French emphysème. Attested from the late 16th century.

This word in other languages

enfisema(Español)emphysème(Français)enfisema(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emhpysema
  • emmphysema
  • emphhysema
  • emphsyema
  • emphyesma
  • emphyseam
  • emphysemma
  • emphysmea
  • emphyssema
  • emphyysema
  • empphysema
  • empyhsema
  • epmhysema
  • mephysema

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of emphysema - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

emhpysema2emmphysema1emphhysema1emphsyema2emphyesma2emphyseam2emphysemma1emphysmea2
Edit distance from "emphysema"

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 "emphysema"?
"emphysema" is spelled E-M-P-H-Y-S-E-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/.
What does "emphysema" mean?
As a noun, "emphysema" means: An abnormal accumulation of air or other gas in tissues, most commonly the lungs.
What are common misspellings of "emphysema"?
Common misspellings include "emhpysema", "emmphysema", "emphhysema", "emphsyema", "emphyesma". The correct spelling is "emphysema".
How do you pronounce "emphysema"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "emphysema" is /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/. 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 "emphysema"?
Multiple origins. Partially from post-Classical Latin emphȳsēma (“swelling”), from Ancient Greek ἐμφῡ́σημα (emphū́sēma), from ἐμφῡσάω (emphūsáō, “to puff up”). Also borrowed from Middle French emphysema, from the same Latin source; compare French ... 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 "emphysema", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

exogenous#40,688extractor#40,690driftwood#40,668demeanour#40,650

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

emotionless14 variantsdistilling14 variantsincestuous14 variantsLansdowne14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list