ill-being

noun

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

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

The verdict

“ill-being” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being ill, unhealthy, or unhappy; misery; miserableness.

Key facts for ill-being
PropertyValue
Headwordill-being
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ill-being” sits in English frequency

ill-being falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ill-being is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for ill-being in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ill + being. Compare well-being. The correct English form is ill-being, spelled I-L-L---B-E-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being ill, unhealthy, or unhappy; misery; miserableness.
  2. 2
    Lack of prosperity, happiness, or health.

Etymology

From ill + being. Compare well-being.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ill-being"?
"ill-being" is spelled I-L-L---B-E-I-N-G.
What does "ill-being" mean?
As a noun, "ill-being" means: The state of being ill, unhealthy, or unhappy; misery; miserableness.
What is the origin of the word "ill-being"?
From ill + being. Compare well-being. 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 “ill-being”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-L-L---B-E-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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