pandemic

/pænˈdɛmɪk/

//pænˈdɛmɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“pandemic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,576 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#11,576
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a disease: epidemic over a wide geographical area and affecting a large proportion of the population; also, of or pertaining to a disease of this nature.

Key facts for pandemic
PropertyValue
Headwordpandemic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pænˈdɛmɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,576
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pandemic” 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). pandemic 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 pandemic is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pænˈdɛmɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,576 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for pandemic, with forms such as "apndemic", "padnemic", and "panddemic". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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: From Ancient Greek πάνδημος (pándēmos, “of or belonging to all the people, public”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). πάνδημος is derived from παν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all, every’) (ultimately from… The correct English form is pandemic, spelled P-A-N-D-E-M-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a disease: epidemic over a wide geographical area and affecting a large proportion of the population; also, of or pertaining to a disease of this nature.
  2. 2
    General, widespread.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πάνδημος (pándēmos, “of or belonging to all the people, public”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). πάνδημος is derived from παν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all, every’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to protect, shepherd”)) + δῆμος (dêmos, “the common people; free citizens, sovereign people”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to divide, share”)). Compare Late Latin pandēmus (“affecting all the people, general, public”).

This word in other languages

pandémico(Español)pandémique(Français)pandemisch(Deutsch)pandêmico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apndemic,padnemic,panddemic,pandeimc,pandemci,pandemicc,pandemmic,pandmeic,panedmic,panndemic,pnademic,ppandemic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pandemic - 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.

apndemic2padnemic2panddemic1pandeimc2pandemci2pandemicc1pandemmic1pandmeic2
Edit distance from "pandemic"

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 "pandemic"?
"pandemic" is spelled P-A-N-D-E-M-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /pænˈdɛmɪk/.
What does "pandemic" mean?
As an adjective, "pandemic" means: Of a disease: epidemic over a wide geographical area and affecting a large proportion of the population; also, of or pertaining to a disease of this nature.
What are common misspellings of "pandemic"?
Common misspellings include "apndemic", "padnemic", "panddemic", "pandeimc", "pandemci". The correct spelling is "pandemic".
How do you pronounce "pandemic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pandemic" is /pænˈdɛmɪk/. 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 "pandemic"?
From Ancient Greek πάνδημος (pándēmos, “of or belonging to all the people, public”) + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). πάνδημος is derived from παν- (pan-, prefix meaning ‘all, every’) (ultim... 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 “pandemic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-N-D-E-M-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pænˈdɛmɪk/ (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