fundamentalism

/ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/

//ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm// noun

"fundamentalism" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fundamentalism” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,001 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,001
frequency rank, English
14
letters
22
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The tendency to reduce a religion to its most fundamental tenets, based on strict interpretation of core texts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fundamentalism vs fundamentals
86% similar
fundamentalism vs fundamentalist
93% similar

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

Key facts for fundamentalism
PropertyValue
Headwordfundamentalism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/
Letters14
Frequency rank#32,001
Misspellings tracked22
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fundamentalism” 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). fundamentalism lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fundamentalism is 14 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,001 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 22 likely wrong-spelling variants for fundamentalism, with forms such as "ffundamentalism", "fnudamentalism", and "fudnamentalism". 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, "fundamentals", "fundamentalist", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From fundamental + -ism. First used in the 1910s by American Christians. The correct English form is fundamentalism, spelled F-U-N-D-A-M-E-N-T-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The tendency to reduce a religion to its most fundamental tenets, based on strict interpretation of core texts.
  2. 2
    A rigid conformity to any set of basic tenets.
  3. 3
    The belief that fundamental financial quantities are the best predictor of the price of a financial instrument.
  4. 4
    A Christian movement that started in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and American Protestants, which emphasizes literal interpretation of the Bible, and came up as a reaction to liberal theology and cultural modernism

Etymology

From fundamental + -ism. First used in the 1910s by American Christians.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffundamentalism,fnudamentalism,fudnamentalism,funadmentalism,fundaemntalism,fundamenatlism,fundamenntalism,fundamentailsm,fundamentalims,fundamentalismm,fundamentalissm,fundamentallism,fundamentalsim,fundamentlaism,fundamenttalism,fundametnalism,fundammentalism,fundamnetalism,funddamentalism,fundmaentalism,funndamentalism,ufndamentalism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffundamentalism1fnudamentalism2fudnamentalism2funadmentalism2fundaemntalism2fundamenatlism2fundamenntalism1fundamentailsm2
Edit distance from "fundamentalism"

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 "fundamentalism"?
"fundamentalism" is spelled F-U-N-D-A-M-E-N-T-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/.
What does "fundamentalism" mean?
As a noun, "fundamentalism" means: The tendency to reduce a religion to its most fundamental tenets, based on strict interpretation of core texts.
What words are commonly confused with "fundamentalism"?
"fundamentalism" is commonly confused with "fundamentals", "fundamentalist". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fundamentalism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fundamentalism" is /ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/. 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 "fundamentalism"?
From fundamental + -ism. First used in the 1910s by American Christians. 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 “fundamentalism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-U-N-D-A-M-E-N-T-A-L-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌfʌndəˈmentəlɪzəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fundamentals” - see the side-by-side comparison. fundamentalism vs fundamentals
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list