subfamily

noun

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

"subfamily" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“subfamily” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,940. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,940
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A taxonomic category ranking between a family and a genus; formerly called a tribe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-subfamily · subfamily · English

subfamily · rank #47,940 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,940
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH streetwear

Nearest frequency peer: streetwear (-2 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 “subfamily”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “subfamily” 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
Key facts for subfamily
PropertyValue
Headwordsubfamily
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#47,940
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “subfamily”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “streetwear” (#47,938), “sulphate” (#47,942), “stratospheric” (#47,937). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “subfamily” is #47,940. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around subfamily, anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,940 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for subfamily, with forms such as "sbufamily", "ssubfamily", and "subafmily". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sub- + family. The correct English form is subfamily, spelled S-U-B-F-A-M-I-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A taxonomic category ranking between a family and a genus; formerly called a tribe.
  2. 2
    A secondary or subordinate grouping.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. There is a handy font editor tool in the engine, where you can import your font and create family and subfamily for your font (for example, the same font can have a family for its bold, italic, light, and dark style as its subfamily).

Etymology

From sub- + family.

This word in other languages

sous-famille(Français)Unterfamilie(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sbufamily
  • ssubfamily
  • subafmily
  • subbfamily
  • subfaimly
  • subfamilly
  • subfamilyy
  • subfamiyl
  • subfamliy
  • subfammily
  • subffamily
  • subfmaily
  • sufbamily
  • usbfamily

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sbufamily2ssubfamily1subafmily2subbfamily1subfaimly2subfamilly1subfamilyy1subfamiyl2
Edit distance from "subfamily"

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 "subfamily"?
"subfamily" is spelled S-U-B-F-A-M-I-L-Y.
What does "subfamily" mean?
As a noun, "subfamily" means: A taxonomic category ranking between a family and a genus; formerly called a tribe.
What are common misspellings of "subfamily"?
Common misspellings include "sbufamily", "ssubfamily", "subafmily", "subbfamily", "subfaimly". The correct spelling is "subfamily".
What is the origin of the word "subfamily"?
From sub- + family. 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 "subfamily", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stopwatch#47,935squeaking#47,925theocracy#47,960theoretic#47,961

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

squabbling14 variantsSnohomish14 variantstrafficker14 variantsunblocked14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list