pathetic

/pəˈθɛtɪk/

//pəˈθɛtɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“pathetic” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,995. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,995
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pathetic · pathetic · English

pathetic · rank #5,995 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,995
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH parish

Nearest frequency peer: parish (-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 “pathetic”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “pathetic” 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 pathetic
PropertyValue
Headwordpathetic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pəˈθɛtɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,995
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “pathetic”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).patheticlands 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 “parish” (#5,994), “poems” (#5,996), “Palestinian” (#5,993). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pathetic” is #5,995. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around pathetic (IPA /pəˈθɛtɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,995 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for pathetic, with forms such as "apthetic", "pahtetic", and "patehtic". 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 headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French pathétique, from Latin patheticus, from Ancient Greek παθητικός (pathētikós, “subject to feeling, capable of feeling, impassioned”), from παθητός (pathētós, “one who has suffered, subject to suffering”), from πάσχω (páskhō, “to suffer”). The correct English form is pathetic, spelled P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.
  2. 2
    Arousing scorn or contempt, often due to miserable inadequacy.
  3. 3
    Expressing or showing anger; passionate.
  4. 4
    Trochlear.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The child’s pathetic pleas for forgiveness stirred the young man’s heart.
  2. We have now arrived at one of the most pathetic and glorious events in the history of Israel, one which sanctifies the Lamanite race with the powers of martyrdom, and, by the blood of the victims, washes its garments white from many a former sin.

Etymology

From Middle French pathétique, from Latin patheticus, from Ancient Greek παθητικός (pathētikós, “subject to feeling, capable of feeling, impassioned”), from παθητός (pathētós, “one who has suffered, subject to suffering”), from πάσχω (páskhō, “to suffer”).

This word in other languages

patético(Español)pathétique(Français)rührend(Deutsch)patético(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apthetic
  • pahtetic
  • patehtic
  • patheitc
  • pathetci
  • patheticc
  • pathettic
  • pathhetic
  • pathteic
  • patthetic
  • ppathetic
  • ptahetic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

apthetic2pahtetic2patehtic2patheitc2pathetci2patheticc1pathettic1pathhetic1
Edit distance from "pathetic"

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 "pathetic"?
"pathetic" is spelled P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /pəˈθɛtɪk/.
What does "pathetic" mean?
As an adjective, "pathetic" means: Arousing pity, sympathy, or compassion; exciting pathos.
What are common misspellings of "pathetic"?
Common misspellings include "apthetic", "pahtetic", "patehtic", "patheitc", "pathetci". The correct spelling is "pathetic".
How do you pronounce "pathetic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pathetic" is /pəˈθɛtɪk/. 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 "pathetic"?
From Middle French pathétique, from Latin patheticus, from Ancient Greek παθητικός (pathētikós, “subject to feeling, capable of feeling, impassioned”), from παθητός (pathētós, “one who has suffered, subject to suffering”), from πάσχω (páskhō, “to ... 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 "pathetic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

overview#5,991nowadays#5,989neighbor#5,987sergeant#6,010

Similar misspelling depth

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

keyboard12 variantsarchives12 variantseditorial12 variantsdefender12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list