iambic
/aɪˈæmbɪk/
"iambic" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“iambic” is uncommon English (frequency #61,548 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #61,548
- frequency rank, English
- 17,902
- “I” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Consisting of iambs (metrical feet with an unstressed-stressed pattern) or characterized by their predominance.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | iambic |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /aɪˈæmbɪk/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #61,548 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “iambic” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
iambic is uncommon English at frequency #61,548 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /aɪˈæmbɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Consisting of iambs (metrical feet with an unstressed-stressed pattern) or characterized by their predominance.".
Zero misspellings are on record for iambic in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French iambique, from Late Latin ïambicus, from Ancient Greek ἰαμβικός (iambikós), from ἴαμβος (íambos) + -ικός (-ikós). The correct English form is iambic, spelled I-A-M-B-I-C.
Definition
- 1Consisting of iambs (metrical feet with an unstressed-stressed pattern) or characterized by their predominance.
Etymology
From Middle French iambique, from Late Latin ïambicus, from Ancient Greek ἰαμβικός (iambikós), from ἴαμβος (íambos) + -ικός (-ikós).
This word in other languages
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 "iambic"?
What does "iambic" mean?
How do you pronounce "iambic"?
What is the origin of the word "iambic"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “iambic”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-A-M-B-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /aɪˈæmbɪk/ (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.