spasmodic
/spæzˈmɑ.dɪk/adjective, noun
spasmodic is spelled S-P-A-S-M-O-D-I-C: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, spasmodic means “Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in spasmodic?
| Letters | 9: S-P-A-S-M-O-D-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 85,266th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is spasmodic?
Spasmodic appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce spasmodic?
- UK /spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/
- US /spæzˈmɑ.dɪk/
Spasmodic has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-spasmodic.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with spasmodic?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as spasmodic from its last stressed vowel (/ɑdɪk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of spasmodic
- more spasmodic comparative
- most spasmodic superlative
- spasmodics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spasmodic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
- 2
Convulsive; consisting of spasms.
spasmodic asthma
- 3
Intermittent or fitful; occurring in abrupt bursts.
spasmodic zeal or industry
- 4
Erratic or unsustained.
- 5
Of or relating to the spasmodic poets, a group of British Victorian poets who wrote introspective drama in verse.
noun
- 1
A medicine for suppressing spasms.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spasmodic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of or relating to a spasm:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | spasmodique |
| Spanish | espasmódico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does spasmodic come from?
From New Latin spasmōdicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmṓdēs, “spasmodic”), from σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).