midriff

/ˈmɪdɹɪf/

//ˈmɪdɹɪf// noun

"midriff" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“midriff” is an uncommon English word, ranked #61,632 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#61,632
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The middle section of the human torso, from below the chest to above the waist; the abdomen and its back part.

Key facts for midriff
PropertyValue
Headwordmidriff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪdɹɪf/
Letters7
Frequency rank#61,632
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “midriff” 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). midriff lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for midriff is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈmɪdɹɪf/. Corpus data places it at rank #61,632 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The middle section of the human torso, from below the chest to above the waist; the abdomen and its back part.".

midriff has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English midref, mydrif, from Old English midrif, midhrif (“the midriff; diaphragm”), from Proto-West Germanic *middjahrif. Equivalent to mid- + riff. The correct English form is midriff, spelled M-I-D-R-I-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    The middle section of the human torso, from below the chest to above the waist; the abdomen and its back part.

Etymology

From Middle English midref, mydrif, from Old English midrif, midhrif (“the midriff; diaphragm”), from Proto-West Germanic *middjahrif. Equivalent to mid- + riff.

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); 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 "midriff"?
"midriff" is spelled M-I-D-R-I-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪdɹɪf/.
What does "midriff" mean?
As a noun, "midriff" means: The middle section of the human torso, from below the chest to above the waist; the abdomen and its back part.
How do you pronounce "midriff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "midriff" is /ˈmɪdɹɪf/. 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 "midriff"?
From Middle English midref, mydrif, from Old English midrif, midhrif (“the midriff; diaphragm”), from Proto-West Germanic *middjahrif. Equivalent to mid- + riff. 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 “midriff”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-I-D-R-I-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈmɪdɹɪf/ (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