posthumous

/ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/

//ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“posthumous” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,184. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,184
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - After the death of someone.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

posthumous vs posthumously
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for posthumous
PropertyValue
Headwordposthumous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#30,184
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “posthumous” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around posthumous (IPA /ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #30,184 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for posthumous, with forms such as "opsthumous", "poshtumous", and "possthumous". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "posthumously", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin posthumus, a variant spelling of postumus, superlative form of posterus (“coming after”), the ⟨h⟩ added by association with humus (“ground, earth”) referring to burial. The correct English form is posthumous, spelled P-O-S-T-H-U-M-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    After the death of someone.
  2. 2
    Taking place after one's own death.
  3. 3
    In reference to a work, published after the author's death.
  4. 4
    In reference to a musical opus, published or initially performed after the composer's death.
  5. 5
    Born after the death of one's father.

Etymology

From Latin posthumus, a variant spelling of postumus, superlative form of posterus (“coming after”), the ⟨h⟩ added by association with humus (“ground, earth”) referring to burial.

Synonyms

post mortempost obitum

Antonyms

antemortemanthumouspredeathprehumouspremortem

This word in other languages

póstumo(Español)posthume(Français)postum(Deutsch)póstumo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opsthumous
  • poshtumous
  • possthumous
  • posthhumous
  • posthmuous
  • posthummous
  • posthumosu
  • posthumouss
  • posthumuos
  • posthuomus
  • postthumous
  • postuhmous
  • potshumous
  • pposthumous
  • psothumous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opsthumous2poshtumous2possthumous1posthhumous1posthmuous2posthummous1posthumosu2posthumouss1
Edit distance from "posthumous"

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 "posthumous"?
"posthumous" is spelled P-O-S-T-H-U-M-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/.
What does "posthumous" mean?
As an adjective, "posthumous" means: After the death of someone.
What words are commonly confused with "posthumous"?
"posthumous" is commonly confused with "posthumously". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "posthumous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "posthumous" is /ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/. 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 "posthumous"?
From Latin posthumus, a variant spelling of postumus, superlative form of posterus (“coming after”), the ⟨h⟩ added by association with humus (“ground, earth”) referring to burial. 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 “posthumous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T-H-U-M-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɒs.t͡ʃʊ.məs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “posthumously” - see the side-by-side comparison. posthumous vs posthumously
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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