polygraph

/ˈpɒliɡɹæf/

//ˈpɒliɡɹæf// noun

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

"polygraph" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“polygraph” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,105. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,105
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being posed to a subject, in...

Corpus desk

Index EN-polygraph · polygraph · English

polygraph · rank #38,105 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,105
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH plenum

Nearest frequency peer: plenum (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “polygraph”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “polygraph” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for polygraph
PropertyValue
Headwordpolygraph
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɒliɡɹæf/
Letters9
Frequency rank#38,105
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “polygraph”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).polygraphlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “plenum” (#38,104), “precipitate” (#38,107), “Pittsburg” (#38,102). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “polygraph” is #38,105. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around polygraph (IPA /ˈpɒliɡɹæf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,105 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for polygraph, with forms such as "oplygraph", "ploygraph", and "polgyraph". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From poly- + -graph. The correct English form is polygraph, spelled P-O-L-Y-G-R-A-P-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being posed to a subject, in an attempt to detect deception.
  2. 2
    A mechanical instrument for multiplying copies of a writing, resembling multiple pantographs.
  3. 3
    A collection of different works, either by one or several authors.
  4. 4
    A group of letters that represent a single phoneme.
  5. 5
    Any group of letters treated as a single item.
  6. 6
    An author who writes on many subjects.
  7. 7
    A multidimensional directed graph.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It used to be just a plain office with a chair and some instruments on a table. Then they got the new, fancy polygraph system.
  2. A polygraph consists of an unspecified number of adjacent letters. A polygraph need not be recognisable as a word in a language but if we are attempting to decipher a message which is expected to be in English and we find the heptagraph MEETING it is much more promising than if we find a heptagraph such as DKRPIGX.

Etymology

From poly- + -graph.

This word in other languages

polígrafo(Español)polygraphe(Français)Lügendetektor(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oplygraph
  • ploygraph
  • polgyraph
  • pollygraph
  • polygarph
  • polyggraph
  • polygrahp
  • polygraphh
  • polygrapph
  • polygrpah
  • polygrraph
  • polyrgaph
  • polyygraph
  • poylgraph
  • ppolygraph

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of polygraph - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

oplygraph2ploygraph2polgyraph2pollygraph1polygarph2polyggraph1polygrahp2polygraphh1
Edit distance from "polygraph"

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 "polygraph"?
"polygraph" is spelled P-O-L-Y-G-R-A-P-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒliɡɹæf/.
What does "polygraph" mean?
As a noun, "polygraph" means: A device which measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and skin conductivity while a series of questions is being posed to a subject, in...
What are common misspellings of "polygraph"?
Common misspellings include "oplygraph", "ploygraph", "polgyraph", "pollygraph", "polygarph". The correct spelling is "polygraph".
How do you pronounce "polygraph"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "polygraph" is /ˈpɒliɡɹæf/. 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 "polygraph"?
From poly- + -graph. 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 "polygraph", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Pittsburg#38,102punchline#38,116optimally#38,080Reykjavik#38,135

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

Queenstown15 variantsoscillating15 variantsoncologist15 variantsmilitarism15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list