fiery

/ˈfaɪəɹi/

//ˈfaɪəɹi// adj

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

"fiery" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fiery” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,515 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#13,515
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to fire.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fiery vs fry
60% similar
fiery vs fir
60% similar
fiery vs fire
60% similar

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

Key facts for fiery
PropertyValue
Headwordfiery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfaɪəɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,515
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fiery” 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). fiery 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 fiery is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfaɪəɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,515 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for fiery, with forms such as "feiry", "ffiery", and "fierry". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fry", "fir", "fire", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fyry, from fyr (“fire”), equivalent to fire + -y. Compare typologically Mongolian галт (galt) (< гал (gal)); Russian пла́менный (plámennyj) (akin to пла́мя (plámja)); Russian вспы́льчивый (vspýlʹčivyj), запа́льчивый (zapálʹčivyj). The correct English form is fiery, spelled F-I-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to fire.
  2. 2
    Burning or glowing.
  3. 3
    Inflammable or easily ignited.
  4. 4
    Having the colour of fire.
  5. 5
    Hot or inflamed.
  6. 6
    Tempestuous or emotionally volatile; sulfurous.
  7. 7
    Spirited or filled with emotion.
  8. 8
    Having the capillaries contracted due to stress at time of slaughter, causing blood to not drain properly.

Etymology

From Middle English fyry, from fyr (“fire”), equivalent to fire + -y. Compare typologically Mongolian галт (galt) (< гал (gal)); Russian пла́менный (plámennyj) (akin to пла́мя (plámja)); Russian вспы́льчивый (vspýlʹčivyj), запа́льчивый (zapálʹčivyj).

This word in other languages

pírico(Español)ardent(Français)feurig(Deutsch)ardente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: feiry,ffiery,fierry,fieryy,fieyr,firey,ifery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

feiry2ffiery1fierry1fieryy1fieyr2firey2ifery2
Edit distance from "fiery"

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 "fiery"?
"fiery" is spelled F-I-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfaɪəɹi/.
What does "fiery" mean?
As an adjective, "fiery" means: Of or relating to fire.
What words are commonly confused with "fiery"?
"fiery" is commonly confused with "fry", "fir", "fire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fiery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fiery" is /ˈfaɪəɹi/. 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 "fiery"?
From Middle English fyry, from fyr (“fire”), equivalent to fire + -y. Compare typologically Mongolian галт (galt) (< гал (gal)); Russian пла́менный (plámennyj) (akin to пла́мя (plámja)); Russian вспы́льчивый (vspýlʹčivyj), запа́льчивый (zapálʹčivyj). 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 “fiery”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-I-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfaɪəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fry” - see the side-by-side comparison. fiery vs fry
  • 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