frightful

/ˈfɹaɪtfəl/

//ˈfɹaɪtfəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“frightful” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,150. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,150
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Full of fright, whether

Corpus desk

Index EN-frightful · frightful · English

frightful · rank #36,150 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,150
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Freudian

Nearest frequency peer: Freudian (-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 “frightful”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “frightful” 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 frightful
PropertyValue
Headwordfrightful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɹaɪtfəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,150
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “frightful”

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).frightfullands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Freudian” (#36,149), “FTW” (#36,151), “frenzied” (#36,148). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frightful” is #36,150. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around frightful (IPA /ˈfɹaɪtfəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #36,150 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for frightful, with forms such as "ffrightful", "firghtful", and "frgihtful". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English frightful (“afraid”), from Old English forhtfull (“fainthearted, timorous”). Equivalent to fright + -ful. The correct English form is frightful, spelled F-R-I-G-H-T-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Full of fright, whether
  2. 2
    Full of fright, whether
  3. 3
    Full of something causing fright, whether
  4. 4
    Full of something causing fright, whether

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Ðis frigtful ðus a-biden,
  2. See how the frightful herds run from the wood.

Etymology

From Middle English frightful (“afraid”), from Old English forhtfull (“fainthearted, timorous”). Equivalent to fright + -ful.

Synonyms

frighteningbad

This word in other languages

temible(Español)effrayant(Français)furchtbar(Deutsch)assustador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffrightful
  • firghtful
  • frgihtful
  • frigghtful
  • frighftul
  • frighhtful
  • frightfful
  • frightflu
  • frightfull
  • frighttful
  • frightufl
  • frigthful
  • frihgtful
  • frrightful
  • rfightful

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of frightful - 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.

ffrightful1firghtful2frgihtful2frigghtful1frighftul2frighhtful1frightfful1frightflu2
Edit distance from "frightful"

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 "frightful"?
"frightful" is spelled F-R-I-G-H-T-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹaɪtfəl/.
What does "frightful" mean?
As an adjective, "frightful" means: Full of fright, whether
What are common misspellings of "frightful"?
Common misspellings include "ffrightful", "firghtful", "frgihtful", "frigghtful", "frighftul". The correct spelling is "frightful".
How do you pronounce "frightful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frightful" is /ˈfɹaɪtfəl/. 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 "frightful"?
From Middle English frightful (“afraid”), from Old English forhtfull (“fainthearted, timorous”). Equivalent to fright + -ful. 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 "frightful", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Glamorgan#36,159fantasize#36,139hijackers#36,174eminently#36,123

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

gloriously15 variantsHeisenberg15 variantsdisengaged15 variantsdefenceless15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list