-phobic

/-ˈfəʊbɪk/

//-ˈfəʊbɪk// suffix

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

"phobic" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“-phobic” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a suffix. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Used to form adjectives indicating a fear of a specific thing.

Key facts for -phobic
PropertyValue
Headword-phobic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechSuffix
IPA/-ˈfəʊbɪk/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “-phobic” sits in English frequency

-phobic falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

-phobic is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as asuffix, transcribed /-ˈfəʊbɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for -phobic, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From -phobia (from Late Latin -phobia, from Koine Greek -φοβία (-phobía), from φόβος (phóbos, “fear”)) + -ic. The correct English form is -phobic, spelled --P-H-O-B-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Used to form adjectives indicating a fear of a specific thing.
  2. 2
    Used to form adjectives indicating a dislike or aversion.
  3. 3
    Used in biology and chemistry to mean a natural repulsion or avoidance.
  4. 4
    Used as a synonym of -phobe to form nouns.

Etymology

From -phobia (from Late Latin -phobia, from Koine Greek -φοβία (-phobía), from φόβος (phóbos, “fear”)) + -ic.

Synonyms

-phobiac-phobe

Antonyms

-philiac-philic-philous-philiac-phile

This word in other languages

-fobo(Español)-phobe(Français)-phob(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "-phobic"?
"-phobic" is spelled --P-H-O-B-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /-ˈfəʊbɪk/.
What does "-phobic" mean?
As a suffix, "-phobic" means: Used to form adjectives indicating a fear of a specific thing.
How do you pronounce "-phobic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "-phobic" is /-ˈfəʊbɪk/. 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 "-phobic"?
From -phobia (from Late Latin -phobia, from Koine Greek -φοβία (-phobía), from φόβος (phóbos, “fear”)) + -ic. 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 “-phobic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is --P-H-O-B-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /-ˈfəʊbɪk/ (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.

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

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