post mortem

/ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/

//ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm// adj

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

The verdict

“post mortem” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - After death.

Corpus desk

Index EN-post-mortem · post mortem · English

post mortem · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for post mortem
PropertyValue
Headwordpost mortem
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “post mortem” in English

post mortemsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

post mortem is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

post mortem doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin post (“afterwards”) + mortem, from mors (“death”). The correct English form is post mortem, spelled P-O-S-T- -M-O-R-T-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    After death.
  2. 2
    Having been inflicted or having occurred after death.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The hospice's standard procedure for post mortem room cleaning looks very thorough.
  2. We shouldn't let these post mortem injuries distract us while looking for the cause of death.

Etymology

From Latin post (“afterwards”) + mortem, from mors (“death”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 "post mortem"?
"post mortem" is spelled P-O-S-T- -M-O-R-T-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/.
What does "post mortem" mean?
As an adjective, "post mortem" means: After death.
How do you pronounce "post mortem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "post mortem" is /ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/. 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 "post mortem"?
From Latin post (“afterwards”) + mortem, from mors (“death”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list