personify

Name: personify, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/

//pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“personify” is an uncommon English word, ranked #74,391 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#74,391
frequency rank, English: 9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To be an example of; to have all the attributes of.

Key facts for personify
Property	Value
Headword	personify
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#74,391
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “personify” 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). personify lands here:

#74,391

#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 personify is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #74,391 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.

personify doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. 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 French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify. The correct English form is personify, spelled P-E-R-S-O-N-I-F-Y.

Definition

1
To be an example of; to have all the attributes of.
2
To create a representation of (an abstract quality) in the form of a character or persona.

Etymology

From French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify.

Synonyms

embody

This word in other languages

personificar(Español)personnifier(Français)personifizieren(Deutsch)

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 "personify"?

"personify" is spelled P-E-R-S-O-N-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/.

What does "personify" mean?

As a verb, "personify" means: To be an example of; to have all the attributes of.

How do you pronounce "personify"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "personify" is /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/. 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 "personify"?

From French personnifier. By surface analysis, person + -ify or person(a) + -ify. 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 “personify”

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

The one correct English spelling is P-E-R-S-O-N-I-F-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /pə(ɹ)ˈsɒnɪfaɪ/ (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.