paraphilia

/ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə/

//ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə// noun

"paraphilia" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“paraphilia” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An abnormal sexual arousal or attraction, especially to objects or situations that are not of a sexual nature; typically of extreme or pathological nature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paraphilia · paraphilia · English

paraphilia · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for paraphilia
PropertyValue
Headwordparaphilia
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “paraphilia” in English

paraphiliafalls 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.

Rare enough to double-check

paraphilia is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for paraphilia in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From para- (“abnormal”) + -philia. The correct English form is paraphilia, spelled P-A-R-A-P-H-I-L-I-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abnormal sexual arousal or attraction, especially to objects or situations that are not of a sexual nature; typically of extreme or pathological nature.
  2. 2
    Sexual arousal in response to sexual objects or situations which may interfere with the capacity for reciprocal affectionate sexual activity or lead to clinically significant distress or impairment (e.g. are obligatory, require participation of unconsenting individuals, lead to legal issues).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Despite the serial aspect of these killings, lust murder still remains a distinct subcategory of both sexual and serial murder. It is also referred to as erotophonophilia, one of the most extreme forms of paraphilia.
  2. Formal study will be necessary to clarify the nature, prevalence, and interrelations of plushophilia, fursuitism, and autoplushophilia among furverts and to document the nature and extent of any co-occurring paraphilias.

Etymology

From para- (“abnormal”) + -philia.

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 "paraphilia"?
"paraphilia" is spelled P-A-R-A-P-H-I-L-I-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə/.
What does "paraphilia" mean?
As a noun, "paraphilia" means: An abnormal sexual arousal or attraction, especially to objects or situations that are not of a sexual nature; typically of extreme or pathological nature.
How do you pronounce "paraphilia"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paraphilia" is /ˌparəˈfɪlɪ.ə/. 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 "paraphilia"?
From para- (“abnormal”) + -philia. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list