phlegmatic

/flɛɡˈmætɪk/

//flɛɡˈmætɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“phlegmatic” is uncommon English (frequency #87,673 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,673
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not easily excited to action or passion; calm; sluggish.

Corpus desk

Index EN-phlegmatic · phlegmatic · English

phlegmatic · rank #87,673 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,673
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH phenytoin

Nearest frequency peer: phenytoin (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “phlegmatic”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “phlegmatic” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for phlegmatic
PropertyValue
Headwordphlegmatic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/flɛɡˈmætɪk/
Letters10
Frequency rank#87,673
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “phlegmatic” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).phlegmaticfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “phenytoin” (#87,672), “photobomb” (#87,674), “phenobarbital” (#87,671). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “phlegmatic” is #87,673. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

phlegmatic is uncommon English at frequency #87,673 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /flɛɡˈmætɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

phlegmatic doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fleumatik, flewmatik, flematik, fleumatyke, flewmatyk, from Old French fleumatique, from Latin phlegmaticus, from Ancient Greek φλεγματικός (phlegmatikós), from φλέγμα (phlégma). Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Gr… The correct English form is phlegmatic, spelled P-H-L-E-G-M-A-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not easily excited to action or passion; calm; sluggish.
  2. 2
    Generating, causing, or full of phlegm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how phlegmatic appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Calm and phlegmatic, with a clear eye, Mr. Fogg seemed a perfect type of that English composure which Angelica Kauffmann has so skilfully represented on canvas.
  2. 2013, A.O. Scott, “How It Looks to Think: Watch Her,” Rev. of Hannah Arendt, dir. by Margarethe von Trotta, New York Times 29 May 2013: C1. Print. Their friendship (immortalized in a splendid volume of letters that has clearly served as one of Ms. von Trotta's sources) is a fascinating study in cultural and temperamental contrast, an impulsive and witty A…

Etymology

From Middle English fleumatik, flewmatik, flematik, fleumatyke, flewmatyk, from Old French fleumatique, from Latin phlegmaticus, from Ancient Greek φλεγματικός (phlegmatikós), from φλέγμα (phlégma). Spelling later altered to resemble the word's Latin and Greek roots, with modern pronunciation following this new spelling.

This word in other languages

flemático(Español)flegmatique(Français)phlegmatisch(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 "phlegmatic"?
"phlegmatic" is spelled P-H-L-E-G-M-A-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /flɛɡˈmætɪk/.
What does "phlegmatic" mean?
As an adjective, "phlegmatic" means: Not easily excited to action or passion; calm; sluggish.
How do you pronounce "phlegmatic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "phlegmatic" is /flɛɡˈmætɪk/. 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 "phlegmatic"?
From Middle English fleumatik, flewmatik, flematik, fleumatyke, flewmatyk, from Old French fleumatique, from Latin phlegmaticus, from Ancient Greek φλεγματικός (phlegmatikós), from φλέγμα (phlégma). Spelling later altered to resemble the word's La... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "phlegmatic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

passphrase#87,658paralysing#87,654popularise#87,692pressurize#87,703

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list