specify

/ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/

//ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ// verb

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

"specify" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“specify” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,963. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,963
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition.

Corpus desk

Index EN-specify · specify · English

specify · rank #9,963 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,963
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH splitting

Nearest frequency peer: splitting (+1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “specify”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “specify” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

specify vs special
71% similar
specify vs species
71% similar
specify vs specific
75% similar

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

Key facts for specify
PropertyValue
Headwordspecify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,963
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “specify”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).specifylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “splitting” (#9,964), “Somerset” (#9,961), “stab” (#9,965). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “specify” is #9,963. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around specify (IPA /ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,963 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for specify, with forms such as "psecify", "sepcify", and "spceify". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "special", "species", "specific", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English specifien, from Old French specifier, especefier, or directly from Medieval Latin specificō, from specificus (“specific”). The correct English form is specify, spelled S-P-E-C-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition.
  2. 2
    To include in a specification.
  3. 3
    To bring about a specific result.
  4. 4
    To speak explicitly or in detail (often used with of).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I was nevere somouned, ne never hadde tydynges of this matier but by seyd lettres and other fleying tales that I heve herd sithen, ne nevere hadde to do more with the seyd John Wortes than is specified in the seyd instruccion.
  2. Thanne after came A riall ordenaunce, / Too myghty princes with a grete pusaunce, / ffro Masedeyn and owt of Arkadye, / Ther cowde no man the nowmber specifie.

Etymology

From Middle English specifien, from Old French specifier, especefier, or directly from Medieval Latin specificō, from specificus (“specific”).

Synonyms

explicitizedisambiguatecallcall outclarifyclear upget something straightnamenarrow downnominateparticularizesingularizespecializespecificate

Antonyms

generalize

This word in other languages

especificar(Español)spécifier(Français)spezifizieren(Deutsch)especificar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • psecify
  • sepcify
  • spceify
  • speccify
  • specfiy
  • speciffy
  • specifyy
  • speciyf
  • speicfy
  • sppecify
  • sspecify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of specify - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

psecify2sepcify2spceify2speccify1specfiy2speciffy1specifyy1speciyf2
Edit distance from "specify"

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 "specify"?
"specify" is spelled S-P-E-C-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/.
What does "specify" mean?
As a verb, "specify" means: To state explicitly, or in detail, or as a condition.
What words are commonly confused with "specify"?
"specify" is commonly confused with "special", "species", "specific". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "specify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "specify" is /ˈspɛs.ɪ.faɪ/. 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 "specify"?
From Middle English specifien, from Old French specifier, especefier, or directly from Medieval Latin specificō, from specificus (“specific”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "specify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sweater#9,967Simmons#9,957Thomson#9,970shouted#9,955

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

seventy11 variantstractor11 variantswhiskey11 variantsWyoming11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list