ferine
/ˈfɪəɹaɪn/
"ferine" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ferine” 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
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining to wild, menacing animals; feral.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ferine |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈfɪəɹaɪn/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ferine” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ferine is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɪəɹaɪn/. 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.
ferine doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ferīnus, from fera (“wild animal”). The zoological sense was coined by William Whewell in 1840. The correct English form is ferine, spelled F-E-R-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1Pertaining to wild, menacing animals; feral.
- 2Belonging to the proposed taxon of bats, carnivorans, and insectivorans.
Etymology
From Latin ferīnus, from fera (“wild animal”). The zoological sense was coined by William Whewell in 1840.
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 “ferine”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-E-R-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfɪəɹaɪn/ (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.