spasmodic
/spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/
"spasmodic" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“spasmodic” is an uncommon English word, ranked #85,799 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #85,799
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | spasmodic |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #85,799 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “spasmodic” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for spasmodic is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #85,799 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
spasmodic doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin spasmōdicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmṓdēs, “spasmodic”), from σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm”). The correct English form is spasmodic, spelled S-P-A-S-M-O-D-I-C.
Definition
- 1Of or relating to a spasm; resembling a sudden contraction of the muscles.
- 2Convulsive; consisting of spasms.
- 3Intermittent or fitful; occurring in abrupt bursts.
- 4Erratic or unsustained.
- 5Of or relating to the spasmodic poets, a group of British Victorian poets who wrote introspective drama in verse.
Etymology
From New Latin spasmōdicus, from Ancient Greek σπασμώδης (spasmṓdēs, “spasmodic”), from σπασμός (spasmós, “spasm”).
This word in other languages
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 "spasmodic"?
What does "spasmodic" mean?
How do you pronounce "spasmodic"?
What is the origin of the word "spasmodic"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “spasmodic”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-P-A-S-M-O-D-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /spæzˈmɒd.ɪk/ (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.