malefit
"malefit" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“malefit” 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
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A detriment or disadvantage
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | malefit |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “malefit” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for malefit is 7 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. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A detriment or disadvantage".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for malefit, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: Attested from 1700s. Learned borrowing from Latin malefit, modeled on benefit. Equivalent to French malfaire. The correct English form is malefit, spelled M-A-L-E-F-I-T.
Definition
- 1A detriment or disadvantage
Etymology
Attested from 1700s. Learned borrowing from Latin malefit, modeled on benefit. Equivalent to French malfaire.
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
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Using “malefit”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-A-L-E-F-I-T - 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.