phenomenal

/fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/

//fɪˈnɒmɪnəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“phenomenal” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,251 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#10,251
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Very remarkable; highly extraordinary; amazing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

phenomenal vs phenomenon
80% similar
phenomenal vs phenomenally
83% similar
phenomenal vs phenomena
90% similar

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

Key facts for phenomenal
PropertyValue
Headwordphenomenal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#10,251
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “phenomenal” 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). phenomenal lands here:

#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 phenomenal is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,251 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for phenomenal, with forms such as "hpenomenal", "pehnomenal", and "phenmoenal". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "phenomenon", "phenomenally", "phenomena", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From phenomenon + -al, after French phénoménal. The correct English form is phenomenal, spelled P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very remarkable; highly extraordinary; amazing.
  2. 2
    Perceptible by the senses through immediate experience.
  3. 3
    Of or pertaining to the appearance of the world, as opposed to the ultimate nature of the world as it is in itself.

Etymology

From phenomenon + -al, after French phénoménal.

Synonyms

awesome

This word in other languages

fenomenal(Español)phénoménal(Français)phänomenal(Deutsch)fenomenal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hpenomenal,pehnomenal,phenmoenal,phennomenal,phenoemnal,phenomeanl,phenomenall,phenomenla,phenomennal,phenommenal,phenomneal,pheonmenal,phhenomenal,phneomenal,pphenomenal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hpenomenal2pehnomenal2phenmoenal2phennomenal1phenoemnal2phenomeanl2phenomenall1phenomenla2
Edit distance from "phenomenal"

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 "phenomenal"?
"phenomenal" is spelled P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/.
What does "phenomenal" mean?
As an adjective, "phenomenal" means: Very remarkable; highly extraordinary; amazing.
What words are commonly confused with "phenomenal"?
"phenomenal" is commonly confused with "phenomenon", "phenomenally", "phenomena". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "phenomenal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phenomenal" is /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/. 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 "phenomenal"?
From phenomenon + -al, after French phénoménal. 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 “phenomenal”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fɪˈnɒmɪnəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “phenomenon” - see the side-by-side comparison. phenomenal vs phenomenon
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list