frightening

/ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/

//ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ// adj

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

"frightening" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frightening” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,699. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,699
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Causing fear; or capable of causing fear; scary.

Corpus desk

Index EN-frightening · frightening · English

frightening · rank #11,699 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,699
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fucker

Nearest frequency peer: fucker (+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 “frightening”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “frightening” 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
Key facts for frightening
PropertyValue
Headwordfrightening
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#11,699
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “frightening”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).frighteninglands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fucker” (#11,700), “focal” (#11,697), “gala” (#11,701). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frightening” is #11,699. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around frightening (IPA /ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #11,699 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for frightening, with forms such as "ffrightening", "firghtening", and "frgihtening". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From frighten + -ing. The correct English form is frightening, spelled F-R-I-G-H-T-E-N-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Causing fear; or capable of causing fear; scary.
  2. 2
    Awful, terrible, very bad.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Riding the rollercoaster was a frightening experience.
  2. The Owl is flying high, frightening to the eye. The Rattler is nearby, Cool is on the fly. Danger is his business.

Etymology

From frighten + -ing.

Synonyms

affreuxalarmingspine-tinglingappallingawfuleldritchbuggishbutt-clenchingbuttock-clenchingdismayfuldreadfulfearfulflaysomeflesh-crawlingformidablefreakyfrighteningfrightensomefrightfulghastlyghostlygrislyhair-curlinghair-raisinghorriblehorridhorrifichorrifyinghorripilatingpulse-poundingscaringscaryshockingskin-crawlingterribleterrifyingterrorsome

Antonyms

nonfrighteningunfrightening

This word in other languages

alarmante(Español)effrayant(Français)fürchterlich(Deutsch)assustador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffrightening
  • firghtening
  • frgihtening
  • frigghtening
  • frighetning
  • frighhtening
  • frighteinng
  • frightenign
  • frighteningg
  • frighteninng
  • frightennig
  • frightenning
  • frightneing
  • frighttening
  • frigthening
  • frihgtening
  • frrightening
  • rfightening

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of frightening - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ffrightening1firghtening2frgihtening2frigghtening1frighetning2frighhtening1frighteinng2frightenign2
Edit distance from "frightening"

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 "frightening"?
"frightening" is spelled F-R-I-G-H-T-E-N-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/.
What does "frightening" mean?
As an adjective, "frightening" means: Causing fear; or capable of causing fear; scary.
What are common misspellings of "frightening"?
Common misspellings include "ffrightening", "firghtening", "frgihtening", "frigghtening", "frighetning". The correct spelling is "frightening".
How do you pronounce "frightening"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frightening" is /ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/. 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 "frightening"?
From frighten + -ing. 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 "frightening", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

commentator#11,668astonishing#11,648proprietary#11,764protagonist#11,766

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

susceptible18 variantsdisagreement18 variantscompliments18 variantsoptimization18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list