emphysema
/ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/
"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
- 18,836
- “E” headwords
- 14
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An abnormal accumulation of air or other gas in tissues, most commonly the lungs.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | emphysema |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #40,681 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “emphysema” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 14 spelling variants around emphysema (IPA /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,681 among 18,836 “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
- 1An abnormal accumulation of air or other gas in tissues, most commonly the lungs.
- 2Ellipsis of pulmonary emphysema, a chronic lung disease, one type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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
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.
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"?
What does "emphysema" mean?
What are common misspellings of "emphysema"?
How do you pronounce "emphysema"?
What is the origin of the word "emphysema"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “emphysema”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-M-P-H-Y-S-E-M-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɛmfɪˈsiːmə/ (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
Same frequency band
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.