flammable
/ˈflæməbəl/
"flammable" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“flammable” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,271 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #23,271
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of burning.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | flammable |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈflæməbəl/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #23,271 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “flammable” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for flammable is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈflæməbəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,271 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for flammable, with forms such as "falmmable", "fflammable", and "flamable". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely related to en-. The correct English form is flammable, spelled F-L-A-M-M-A-B-L-E.
Definition
- 1Capable of burning.
- 2Easily set on fire.
- 3Easily set on fire.
- 4Very likely to cause fighting or controversy; extremely contentious.
Etymology
Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely related to en-.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: falmmable,fflammable,flamable,flamamble,flammabble,flammabel,flammablle,flammalbe,flammbale,flammible,fllammable,flmamable,lfammable
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flammable - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "flammable"?
What does "flammable" mean?
What are common misspellings of "flammable"?
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What is the origin of the word "flammable"?
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Using “flammable”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-L-A-M-M-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈflæməbəl/ (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.