formulary

/ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/

//ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi// noun

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

The verdict

“formulary” is uncommon English (frequency #70,671 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,671
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.

Key facts for formulary
PropertyValue
Headwordformulary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#70,671
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “formulary” 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). formulary lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

formulary is uncommon English at frequency #70,671 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for formulary, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary. The correct English form is formulary, spelled F-O-R-M-U-L-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.
  2. 2
    A pharmacopoeia or list of available drugs, particularly prescription drugs
  3. 3
    A list of drugs, created by health insurers, hospitals, or prescription drug plans, that defines how costs for any drug are shared between patient and health care provider, typically broken down by tiers such as preferred generics with lowest copay, or preferred brand with higher copay, or non-preferred brand and not covered tiers with the highest cost to the patient.
  4. 4
    An ancient or medieval collection of models for official writings.
  5. 5
    A collection of formulas in sciences and mathematics.

Etymology

From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary.

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 "formulary"?
"formulary" is spelled F-O-R-M-U-L-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/.
What does "formulary" mean?
As a noun, "formulary" means: A list of formulas; a collection of set forms to be followed, especially in religious belief.
How do you pronounce "formulary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "formulary" is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/. 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 "formulary"?
From Middle French formulaire. By surface analysis, formula + -ary. 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 “formulary”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-M-U-L-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɔː(ɹ)mjʊləɹi/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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