finicky
/ˈfɪnɪki/
"finicky" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“finicky” is an uncommon English word, ranked #56,122 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #56,122
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | finicky |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈfɪnɪki/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #56,122 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “finicky” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for finicky is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɪnɪki/. Corpus data places it at rank #56,122 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 finicky, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From finick (“to work in a fastidious manner, wasting time over unnecessary details”) + -y. Compare finicking, finical, and dated finikin. Perhaps suggested by obsolete Dutch fijnkens (“accurately, neatly, prettily”) (modern Dutch fijntjes). Compare also Si… The correct English form is finicky, spelled F-I-N-I-C-K-Y.
Definition
- 1Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details.
- 2Demanding; requiring above-normal care.
Etymology
From finick (“to work in a fastidious manner, wasting time over unnecessary details”) + -y. Compare finicking, finical, and dated finikin. Perhaps suggested by obsolete Dutch fijnkens (“accurately, neatly, prettily”) (modern Dutch fijntjes). Compare also Sicilian finicchiu.
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); 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
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Using “finicky”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-I-N-I-C-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfɪnɪki/ (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.