hysteric

/hɪsˈtɛɹɪk/

//hɪsˈtɛɹɪk// adj

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

The verdict

“hysteric” is uncommon English (frequency #88,443 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,443
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Hysterical; relating to hysteria.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hysteric · hysteric · English

hysteric · rank #88,443 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #88,443
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hyponatremia

Nearest frequency peer: hyponatremia (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “hysteric”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “hysteric” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hysteric
PropertyValue
Headwordhysteric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/hɪsˈtɛɹɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#88,443
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hysteric” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).hystericfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “hyponatremia” (#88,442), “hyperventilation” (#88,441), “ibr” (#88,445). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hysteric” is #88,443. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hysteric is uncommon English at frequency #88,443 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /hɪsˈtɛɹɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Hysterical; relating to hysteria.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for hysteric in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός (husterikós, “suffering in the uterus, hysterical”), from ὑστέρα (hustéra, “womb”). The correct English form is hysteric, spelled H-Y-S-T-E-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Hysterical; relating to hysteria.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Yes, my dravving-room is an abſolute regiſter-office for candidate actors, and poets vvithout character;—then to be continually alarmed vvith Miſſes and Ma'ams piping hiſteric changes on Juliets and Dorindas, Pollys and Ophelias; […]
  2. We also find gamblers of this type among some frigid hysteric women, who seem to treat gambling as they treat men, coldly and spongingly.

Etymology

From Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός (husterikós, “suffering in the uterus, hysterical”), from ὑστέρα (hustéra, “womb”).

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 "hysteric"?
"hysteric" is spelled H-Y-S-T-E-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /hɪsˈtɛɹɪk/.
What does "hysteric" mean?
As an adjective, "hysteric" means: Hysterical; relating to hysteria.
How do you pronounce "hysteric"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hysteric" is /hɪsˈtɛɹɪk/. 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 "hysteric"?
From Latin hystericus, from Ancient Greek ὑστερικός (husterikós, “suffering in the uterus, hysterical”), from ὑστέρα (hustéra, “womb”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
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Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hysteric", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list