post mortem
/ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/
"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 May 6, 2026) - After death.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | post mortem |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “post mortem” sits in English frequency
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
- 1After death.
- 2Having been inflicted or having occurred after death.
Etymology
From Latin post (“afterwards”) + mortem, from mors (“death”).
Synonyms
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
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Using “post mortem”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T- -M-O-R-T-E-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌpəʊs(t)ˈmɔːtəm/ (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.