genetic

Name: genetic, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/

//d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“genetic” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,020 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,020
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relating to genetics or genes.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

genetic vs genomic

71% similar

genetic vs genetics

88% similar

genetic vs geodetic

75% similar

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

Key facts for genetic
Property	Value
Headword	genetic
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#4,020
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	5
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “genetic” 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). genetic lands here:

#4,020

#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 genetic is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,020 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for genetic, with forms such as "egnetic", "geentic", and "geneitc". 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. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "genomic", "genetics", "geodetic", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined from genesis, similarly to antithesis, antithetic. Reflects Ancient Greek γενετικός (genetikós), from γένεσις (génesis) + -κός (-kós). Ultimately from Ancient Greek γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). By surface analysis, gene + -tic or gen(esi… The correct English form is genetic, spelled G-E-N-E-T-I-C.

Definition

1
Relating to genetics or genes.
2
Caused by genes.
3
Of or relating to origin (genesis).
4
Based on shared membership in a linguistic family.
5
Based on a shared membership in a religious family.

Etymology

Coined from genesis, similarly to antithesis, antithetic. Reflects Ancient Greek γενετικός (genetikós), from γένεσις (génesis) + -κός (-kós). Ultimately from Ancient Greek γίγνομαι (gígnomai, “I come into being”). By surface analysis, gene + -tic or gen(esis) + -etic.

Synonyms

genealogical genic hereditary

This word in other languages

genético(Español)génétique(Français)genetisch(Deutsch)genético(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egnetic,geentic,geneitc,genetci,geneticc,genettic,gennetic,genteic,ggenetic,gneetic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of genetic - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "genetic"

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 "genetic"?

"genetic" is spelled G-E-N-E-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/.

What does "genetic" mean?

As an adjective, "genetic" means: Relating to genetics or genes.

What words are commonly confused with "genetic"?

"genetic" is commonly confused with "genomic", "genetics", "geodetic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "genetic"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "genetic" is /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/. 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 "genetic"?

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 “genetic”

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

The one correct English spelling is G-E-N-E-T-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /d͡ʒəˈnɛt.ɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “genomic” - see the side-by-side comparison. genetic vs genomic
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.