pathogen

/ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/

//ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pathogen” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,354. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,354
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An agent that can cause disease, especially an infectious microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, protozoon or fungus.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pathogen vs pathogenic
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pathogen
PropertyValue
Headwordpathogen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,354
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pathogen” 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). pathogen lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around pathogen (IPA /ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,354 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An agent that can cause disease, especially an infectious microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, protozoon or fungus.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for pathogen, with forms such as "apthogen", "pahtogen", and "pathgoen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "pathogenic", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From patho- + -gen. Second element ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“lineage”) through Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “birth”) The correct English form is pathogen, spelled P-A-T-H-O-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An agent that can cause disease, especially an infectious microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, protozoon or fungus.

Etymology

From patho- + -gen. Second element ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“lineage”) through Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “birth”)

This word in other languages

patógeno(Español)pathogène(Français)Krankheitserreger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • apthogen
  • pahtogen
  • pathgoen
  • pathhogen
  • pathoegn
  • pathogenn
  • pathoggen
  • pathogne
  • patohgen
  • patthogen
  • ppathogen
  • ptahogen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pathogen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apthogen2pahtogen2pathgoen2pathhogen1pathoegn2pathogenn1pathoggen1pathogne2
Edit distance from "pathogen"

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 "pathogen"?
"pathogen" is spelled P-A-T-H-O-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/.
What does "pathogen" mean?
As a noun, "pathogen" means: An agent that can cause disease, especially an infectious microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, protozoon or fungus.
What words are commonly confused with "pathogen"?
"pathogen" is commonly confused with "pathogenic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pathogen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pathogen" is /ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/. 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 "pathogen"?
From patho- + -gen. Second element ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“lineage”) through Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “birth”) 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 “pathogen”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-T-H-O-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpæθəd͡ʒn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pathogenic” - see the side-by-side comparison. pathogen vs pathogenic
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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