fix

/ˈfɪks/

//ˈfɪks// verb

"fix" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fix” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,826 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,826
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fix vs FL
0% similar
fix vs FM
0% similar
fix vs fu
33% similar

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

Key facts for fix
PropertyValue
Headwordfix
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɪks/
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,826
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fix” 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). fix 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 fix is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɪks/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,826 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

fix doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FL", "FM", "fu", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fixen, borrowed from Old French *fixer (attested only as ficher, fichier; > English fitch), from fix (“fastened; fixed”), from Latin fīxus (“immovable; steady; stable; fixed”), from fīgō (“to drive in; stick; fasten”), from Proto-Indo-Eu… The correct English form is fix, spelled F-I-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix.
  2. 2
    To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix.
  3. 3
    To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time.
  4. 4
    To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time.
  5. 5
    To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time.
  6. 6
    To mend, to repair.
  7. 7
    To mend, to repair.
  8. 8
    To prepare (food or drink).
  9. 9
    To make (a contest, vote, or gamble) unfair; to privilege one contestant or a particular group of contestants, usually before the contest begins; to arrange immunity for defendants by tampering with the justice system via bribery or extortion.
  10. 10
    To surgically render an animal, especially a pet, infertile.
  11. 11
    To map (a point or subset) to itself.
  12. 12
    To take revenge on, to best; to serve justice on an assumed miscreant.
  13. 13
    To render (a photographic impression) permanent by treating with such applications as will make it insensitive to the action of light.
  14. 14
    To convert into a stable or available form.
  15. 15
    To become fixed; to settle or remain permanently; to cease from wandering; to rest.
  16. 16
    To become firm, so as to resist volatilization; to cease to flow or be fluid; to congeal; to become hard and malleable, as a metallic substance.
  17. 17
    To shoot; to inject a drug.

Etymology

From Middle English fixen, borrowed from Old French *fixer (attested only as ficher, fichier; > English fitch), from fix (“fastened; fixed”), from Latin fīxus (“immovable; steady; stable; fixed”), from fīgō (“to drive in; stick; fasten”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to jab; stick; set”). Related to dig.

Synonyms

Antonyms

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

How do you spell "fix"?
"fix" is spelled F-I-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪks/.
What does "fix" mean?
As a verb, "fix" means: To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix.
What words are commonly confused with "fix"?
"fix" is commonly confused with "FL", "FM", "fu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fix"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fix" is /ˈfɪks/. 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 "fix"?
From Middle English fixen, borrowed from Old French *fixer (attested only as ficher, fichier; > English fitch), from fix (“fastened; fixed”), from Latin fīxus (“immovable; steady; stable; fixed”), from fīgō (“to drive in; stick; fasten”), from Pro... 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 “fix”

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

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