Phaedra

/ˈfiːdɹə/

//ˈfiːdɹə// name

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

"phaedra" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Phaedra” is uncommon English (frequency #55,642 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,642
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The wife of Theseus, who falls in love with but is spurned by her stepson Hippolytus, then commits suicide, but is the cause of his later death (details vary between versions).

Key facts for Phaedra
PropertyValue
HeadwordPhaedra
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈfiːdɹə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#55,642
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Phaedra” 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). Phaedra lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Phaedra is uncommon English at frequency #55,642 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈfiːdɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Phaedra, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Phaedra, from Ancient Greek Φαίδρᾱ (Phaídrā). The myth has been retold several times, in plays (in classical times in Euripides's Hippolytus and Seneca the Younger's Phaedra, later in Racine's Phèdre), and more recently in other media. The correct English form is Phaedra, spelled P-H-A-E-D-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The wife of Theseus, who falls in love with but is spurned by her stepson Hippolytus, then commits suicide, but is the cause of his later death (details vary between versions).
  2. 2
    A female given name from Ancient Greek.
  3. 3
    The asteroid 174 Phaedra.

Etymology

From Latin Phaedra, from Ancient Greek Φαίδρᾱ (Phaídrā). The myth has been retold several times, in plays (in classical times in Euripides's Hippolytus and Seneca the Younger's Phaedra, later in Racine's Phèdre), and more recently in other media.

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 "Phaedra"?
"Phaedra" is spelled P-H-A-E-D-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfiːdɹə/.
What does "Phaedra" mean?
As a proper noun, "Phaedra" means: The wife of Theseus, who falls in love with but is spurned by her stepson Hippolytus, then commits suicide, but is the cause of his later death (details vary between versions).
How do you pronounce "Phaedra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Phaedra" is /ˈfiːdɹə/. 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 "Phaedra"?
From Latin Phaedra, from Ancient Greek Φαίδρᾱ (Phaídrā). The myth has been retold several times, in plays (in classical times in Euripides's Hippolytus and Seneca the Younger's Phaedra, later in Racine's Phèdre), and more recently in other media. 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 “Phaedra”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-H-A-E-D-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfiːdɹə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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