horrible

/ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/

//ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl// noun

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

"horrible" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“horrible” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,368 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,368
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

horrible vs horribly
88% similar

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

Key facts for horrible
PropertyValue
Headwordhorrible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,368
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “horrible” 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). horrible 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 horrible is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,368 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for horrible, with forms such as "hhorrible", "horible", and "horirble". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "horribly", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in Middle English (alternately as horrible and orrible) in 1303: from Old French horrible, orrible, orible, from Latin horribilis, from horr(ēre) (“tremble”) + -ibilis (“-ible”). The correct English form is horrible, spelled H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.
  2. 2
    A person wearing a comic or grotesque costume in a parade of horribles.

Etymology

First attested in Middle English (alternately as horrible and orrible) in 1303: from Old French horrible, orrible, orible, from Latin horribilis, from horr(ēre) (“tremble”) + -ibilis (“-ible”).

This word in other languages

horrível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhorrible,horible,horirble,horrable,horrbile,horribble,horribel,horriblle,horrilbe,hrorible,ohrrible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhorrible1horible1horirble2horrable1horrbile2horribble1horribel2horriblle1
Edit distance from "horrible"

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 "horrible"?
"horrible" is spelled H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/.
What does "horrible" mean?
As a noun, "horrible" means: A thing that causes horror; a terrifying thing, particularly a prospective bad consequence asserted as likely to result from an act.
What words are commonly confused with "horrible"?
"horrible" is commonly confused with "horribly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "horrible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "horrible" is /ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/. 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 "horrible"?
First attested in Middle English (alternately as horrible and orrible) in 1303: from Old French horrible, orrible, orible, from Latin horribilis, from horr(ēre) (“tremble”) + -ibilis (“-ible”). 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 “horrible”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɒɹ.ɪ.bəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “horribly” - see the side-by-side comparison. horrible vs horribly
  • 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