functionalist

/ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/

//ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst// noun

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

"functionalist" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“functionalist” is uncommon English (frequency #83,264 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,264
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who believes in functionalism.

Key facts for functionalist
PropertyValue
Headwordfunctionalist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/
Letters13
Frequency rank#83,264
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “functionalist” 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). functionalist 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

functionalist is uncommon English at frequency #83,264 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "One who believes in functionalism.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for functionalist, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From functional + -ist. The correct English form is functionalist, spelled F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who believes in functionalism.

Etymology

From functional + -ist.

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 "functionalist"?
"functionalist" is spelled F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/.
What does "functionalist" mean?
As a noun, "functionalist" means: One who believes in functionalism.
How do you pronounce "functionalist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "functionalist" is /ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/. 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 "functionalist"?
From functional + -ist. 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 “functionalist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-U-N-C-T-I-O-N-A-L-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfʌŋkʃənəlɪst/ (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