metaphor

/ˈmɛ.tə.fə/

//ˈmɛ.tə.fə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“metaphor” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,726. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,726
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The use of a word, phrase, concept, or set of concepts to refer to something other than its literal meaning, invoking an implicit similarity between the thing described and what is denoted by the w...

Corpus desk

Index EN-metaphor · metaphor · English

metaphor · rank #10,726 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,726
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH mann

Nearest frequency peer: mann (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “metaphor”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “metaphor” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for metaphor
PropertyValue
Headwordmetaphor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɛ.tə.fə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,726
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “metaphor”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).metaphorlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “mann” (#10,725), “millionaire” (#10,727), “magnet” (#10,724). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “metaphor” is #10,726. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around metaphor (IPA /ˈmɛ.tə.fə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,726 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for metaphor, with forms such as "emtaphor", "meatphor", and "metahpor". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “I transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “I bear, carry”). The correct English form is metaphor, spelled M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The use of a word, phrase, concept, or set of concepts to refer to something other than its literal meaning, invoking an implicit similarity between the thing described and what is denoted by the word, etc., that is used.
  2. 2
    A word or phrase used in such implied comparison.
  3. 3
    The use of an everyday object or concept to represent an underlying facet of the computer and thus aid users in performing tasks.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how metaphor appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The next group of computational approaches to metaphor assume that metaphor is basically a hidden analogy.
  2. A Metaphor, in place of proper words, Resemblance puts; and dress to speech affords.

Etymology

From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “I transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “I bear, carry”).

This word in other languages

metáfora(Español)métaphore(Français)Metapher(Deutsch)metáfora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emtaphor
  • meatphor
  • metahpor
  • metaphhor
  • metaphorr
  • metaphro
  • metapohr
  • metapphor
  • metpahor
  • mettaphor
  • mmetaphor
  • mteaphor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of metaphor - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

emtaphor2meatphor2metahpor2metaphhor1metaphorr1metaphro2metapohr2metapphor1
Edit distance from "metaphor"

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 "metaphor"?
"metaphor" is spelled M-E-T-A-P-H-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛ.tə.fə/.
What does "metaphor" mean?
As a noun, "metaphor" means: The use of a word, phrase, concept, or set of concepts to refer to something other than its literal meaning, invoking an implicit similarity between the thing described and what is denoted by the w...
What are common misspellings of "metaphor"?
Common misspellings include "emtaphor", "meatphor", "metahpor", "metaphhor", "metaphorr". The correct spelling is "metaphor".
How do you pronounce "metaphor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "metaphor" is /ˈmɛ.tə.fə/. 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 "metaphor"?
From Middle French métaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Ancient Greek μεταφορά (metaphorá), from μεταφέρω (metaphérō, “I transfer, apply”), from μετά (metá, “with, across, after”) + φέρω (phérō, “I bear, carry”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "metaphor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

longtime#10,722oriental#10,738imposing#10,713impacted#10,712

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

resemble12 variantsretarded12 variantsfirstly12 variantsrightly12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list