mephitic

/ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/

//ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk// adj

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

The verdict

“mephitic” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Foul-smelling or noxious, particularly of a gas or atmosphere.

Key facts for mephitic
PropertyValue
Headwordmephitic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mephitic” sits in English frequency

mephitic 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 mephitic is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/. 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: "Foul-smelling or noxious, particularly of a gas or atmosphere.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for mephitic, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin mephīticus, from mephītis; compare French méphitique. The correct English form is mephitic, spelled M-E-P-H-I-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Foul-smelling or noxious, particularly of a gas or atmosphere.

Etymology

From Latin mephīticus, from mephītis; compare French méphitique.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "mephitic"?
"mephitic" is spelled M-E-P-H-I-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/.
What does "mephitic" mean?
As an adjective, "mephitic" means: Foul-smelling or noxious, particularly of a gas or atmosphere.
How do you pronounce "mephitic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mephitic" is /ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/. 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 "mephitic"?
From Latin mephīticus, from mephītis; compare French méphitique. 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 “mephitic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-E-P-H-I-T-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌmɛˈfɪ.tɪk/ (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
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