facile

/ˈfæs.aɪl/

//ˈfæs.aɪl// adj

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

"facile" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“facile” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,456 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#46,456
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Easy; contemptibly easy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

facile vs file
67% similar
facile vs fail
67% similar
facile vs fails
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for facile
PropertyValue
Headwordfacile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfæs.aɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#46,456
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “facile” 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). facile lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for facile is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfæs.aɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,456 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for facile, with forms such as "afcile", "faccile", and "faciel". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "file", "fail", "fails", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French facile, from Latin facilis (“easy to do, easy, doable”), from Latin facere (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put”) Compare Spanish fácil (“easy”). First use appears c. 1484 in a translation by William Cax… The correct English form is facile, spelled F-A-C-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Easy; contemptibly easy.
  2. 2
    Amiable, flexible, easy to get along with.
  3. 3
    Effortless, fluent (of work, abilities etc.).
  4. 4
    Lazy, simplistic, superficial (especially of explanations, discussions etc.).
  5. 5
    Of a reaction or other process, taking place readily.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French facile, from Latin facilis (“easy to do, easy, doable”), from Latin facere (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put”) Compare Spanish fácil (“easy”). First use appears c. 1484 in a translation by William Caxton.

This word in other languages

facile(Français)leicht(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afcile,faccile,faciel,facille,faclie,faicle,fcaile,ffacile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afcile2faccile1faciel2facille1faclie2faicle2fcaile2ffacile1
Edit distance from "facile"

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 "facile"?
"facile" is spelled F-A-C-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfæs.aɪl/.
What does "facile" mean?
As an adjective, "facile" means: Easy; contemptibly easy.
What words are commonly confused with "facile"?
"facile" is commonly confused with "file", "fail", "fails". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "facile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "facile" is /ˈfæs.aɪl/. 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 "facile"?
Borrowed from Middle French facile, from Latin facilis (“easy to do, easy, doable”), from Latin facere (“to do, make”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do, put”) Compare Spanish fácil (“easy”). First use appears c. 1484 in a translation by W... 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 “facile”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-C-I-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfæs.aɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “file” - see the side-by-side comparison. facile vs file
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list