firebrand

/ˈfaɪə.bɹænd/

//ˈfaɪə.bɹænd// noun

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

"firebrand" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“firebrand” is uncommon English (frequency #51,704 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,704
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An argumentative troublemaker or revolutionary; one who agitates against the status quo.

Corpus desk

Index EN-firebrand · firebrand · English

firebrand · rank #51,704 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,704
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fireballs

Nearest frequency peer: fireballs (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “firebrand”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “firebrand” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for firebrand
PropertyValue
Headwordfirebrand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfaɪə.bɹænd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#51,704
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “firebrand” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).firebrandfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “fireballs” (#51,703), “Fergusson” (#51,702), “feint” (#51,701). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “firebrand” is #51,704. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

firebrand is uncommon English at frequency #51,704 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfaɪə.bɹænd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

firebrand doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fyr-brand, furbrond, equivalent to fire + brand. Cognate with German Feuerbrand (“firebrand”). The correct English form is firebrand, spelled F-I-R-E-B-R-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    An argumentative troublemaker or revolutionary; one who agitates against the status quo.
  2. 2
    A torch or other burning stick with a flame at one end.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how firebrand appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The member of the college's Communist League was a firebrand who would launch a sit-in or protest march at a moment's notice.
  2. At the same time, Mr. Irons said, it is important to separate “this very valiant and completely kosher and clean repository of public material, which we perfectly endorse, and this kind of firebrand ‘We want to show the publishers they’re wrong’ kind of attitude.”

Etymology

From Middle English fyr-brand, furbrond, equivalent to fire + brand. Cognate with German Feuerbrand (“firebrand”).

This word in other languages

instigador(Español)agitateur(Français)Aufrührer(Deutsch)tocha(Português)

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 "firebrand"?
"firebrand" is spelled F-I-R-E-B-R-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfaɪə.bɹænd/.
What does "firebrand" mean?
As a noun, "firebrand" means: An argumentative troublemaker or revolutionary; one who agitates against the status quo.
How do you pronounce "firebrand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "firebrand" is /ˈfaɪə.bɹænd/. 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 "firebrand"?
From Middle English fyr-brand, furbrond, equivalent to fire + brand. Cognate with German Feuerbrand (“firebrand”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "firebrand", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fireballs#51,703Fergusson#51,702factorial#51,697frugality#51,714

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list