factious
/ˈfækʃəs/
"factious" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“factious” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, pertaining to, or caused by factions.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | factious |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈfækʃəs/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “factious” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for factious is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfækʃəs/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for factious, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin factiosus (“divisive; inclined to separate”); derivative of factio. The correct English form is factious, spelled F-A-C-T-I-O-U-S.
Definition
- 1Of, pertaining to, or caused by factions.
- 2Given to or characterized by discordance or insubordination.
Etymology
From Latin factiosus (“divisive; inclined to separate”); derivative of factio.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “factious”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-A-C-T-I-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfækʃəs/ (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
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.