knifed

/naɪft/

//naɪft// adj

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

"knifed" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“knifed” is uncommon English (frequency #56,852 among 9,255 “K” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,852
frequency rank, English
9,255
“K” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having been cut or stabbed with a knife.

Key facts for knifed
PropertyValue
Headwordknifed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/naɪft/
Letters6
Frequency rank#56,852
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “knifed” 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). knifed lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

knifed is uncommon English at frequency #56,852 among 9,255 “K” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /naɪft/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

knifed doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From knife + -ed. The correct English form is knifed, spelled K-N-I-F-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having been cut or stabbed with a knife.
  2. 2
    Wearing or carrying (a specified type of) knife (utensil or tool).
  3. 3
    Having a knife (blade-like part) of the specified type.

Etymology

From knife + -ed.

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 "knifed"?
"knifed" is spelled K-N-I-F-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /naɪft/.
What does "knifed" mean?
As an adjective, "knifed" means: Having been cut or stabbed with a knife.
How do you pronounce "knifed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "knifed" is /naɪft/. 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 "knifed"?
From knife + -ed. 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 “knifed”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is K-N-I-F-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /naɪft/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list