phlegm
/flɛm/
"phlegm" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“phlegm” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #48,412 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #48,412
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | phlegm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /flɛm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #48,412 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “phlegm” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for phlegm is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /flɛm/. Corpus data places it at rank #48,412 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for phlegm, with forms such as "hplegm", "phelgm", and "phhlegm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English flewme, fleume, fleme, from Old French fleume, Middle French flemme (French flegme), and their source, Latin phlegma, from Ancient Greek φλέγμα (phlégma, “flame; inflammation; clammy humor in the body”), from φλέγειν (phlégein, “to burn”… The correct English form is phlegm, spelled P-H-L-E-G-M.
Definition
- 1One of the four humors making up the body in ancient and mediaeval medicine; said to be cold and moist, and often identified with mucus.
- 2Viscid mucus produced by the body, later especially mucus expelled from the bronchial passages by coughing.
- 3A watery distillation, especially one obtained from plant matter; an aqueous solution.
- 4Calmness of temperament, composure; also seen negatively, sluggishness, indifference.
Etymology
From Middle English flewme, fleume, fleme, from Old French fleume, Middle French flemme (French flegme), and their source, Latin phlegma, from Ancient Greek φλέγμα (phlégma, “flame; inflammation; clammy humor in the body”), from φλέγειν (phlégein, “to burn”). Possible burning sensation when coughing up phlegm. Compare phlox, flagrant, flame, bleak (adjective), fulminate. Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots. The regularly developed form /fliːm/ has been displaced by a pronunciation /flɛm/ of uncertain provenance. It may be inherited, though some kind of learned or spelling pronunciation or influence from phlegmatic is also conceivable.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: hplegm,phelgm,phhlegm,phleggm,phlegmm,phlemg,phlgem,phllegm,plhegm,pphlegm
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of phlegm - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “phlegm”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-H-L-E-G-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /flɛm/ (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.