fragile

/ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/

//ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl// adj

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

"fragile" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fragile” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,792. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,792
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fragile · fragile · English

fragile · rank #8,792 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,792
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fictional

Nearest frequency peer: fictional (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fragile”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fragile” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fragile vs frail
71% similar
fragile vs facile
71% similar

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

Key facts for fragile
PropertyValue
Headwordfragile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,792
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fragile”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).fragilelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fictional” (#8,791), “fringe” (#8,793), “fellowship” (#8,790). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fragile” is #8,792. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around fragile (IPA /ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,792 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for fragile, with forms such as "fargile", "ffragile", and "fraggile". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "frail", "facile", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate with fraction, fracture and doublet of frail. The correct English form is fragile, spelled F-R-A-G-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material.
  2. 2
    Readily disrupted or destroyed.
  3. 3
    Feeling weak or easily disturbed as a result of illness.
  4. 4
    Thin-skinned or oversensitive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She caught the fragile vase before it could shatter on the floor.
  2. The chemist synthesizes a fragile molecule.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate with fraction, fracture and doublet of frail.

Synonyms

breakabledelicatedestructibleflimsyfragilefrailfrailsomefrangibletenuous

Antonyms

antifragiledurableindestructibleunbreakableunfragile

This word in other languages

frágil(Español)fragile(Français)fragil(Deutsch)frágil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fargile
  • ffragile
  • fraggile
  • fragiel
  • fragille
  • fraglie
  • fraigle
  • frgaile
  • frragile
  • rfagile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fragile - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

fargile2ffragile1fraggile1fragiel2fragille1fraglie2fraigle2frgaile2
Edit distance from "fragile"

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 "fragile"?
"fragile" is spelled F-R-A-G-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/.
What does "fragile" mean?
As an adjective, "fragile" means: Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material.
What words are commonly confused with "fragile"?
"fragile" is commonly confused with "frail", "facile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fragile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fragile" is /ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/. 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 "fragile"?
Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate with fraction, fracture and doublet of frail. 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 "fragile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fulfill#8,794fatigue#8,789granite#8,796dentist#8,781

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

curtain10 variantslowered10 variantsbooking10 variantsAlberta10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list