systemic

/sɪˈstɛmɪk/

//sɪˈstɛmɪk// adj

"systemic" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“systemic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,620 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#10,620
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Embedded within and spread throughout and affecting a whole system, group, body, economy, market, or society.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

systemic vs systems
75% similar
systemic vs systolic
75% similar
systemic vs system
75% similar

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

Key facts for systemic
PropertyValue
Headwordsystemic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/sɪˈstɛmɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,620
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “systemic” 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). systemic lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for systemic is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɪˈstɛmɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,620 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for systemic, with forms such as "ssystemic", "ssytemic", and "sysetmic". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "systems", "systolic", "system", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From system + -ic. Doublet of systematic. The correct English form is systemic, spelled S-Y-S-T-E-M-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Embedded within and spread throughout and affecting a whole system, group, body, economy, market, or society.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to an entire organism.

Etymology

From system + -ic. Doublet of systematic.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ssystemic,ssytemic,sysetmic,sysstemic,systeimc,systemci,systemicc,systemmic,systmeic,systtemic,sytsemic,syystemic,ysstemic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of systemic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ssystemic1ssytemic2sysetmic2sysstemic1systeimc2systemci2systemicc1systemmic1
Edit distance from "systemic"

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 "systemic"?
"systemic" is spelled S-Y-S-T-E-M-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪˈstɛmɪk/.
What does "systemic" mean?
As an adjective, "systemic" means: Embedded within and spread throughout and affecting a whole system, group, body, economy, market, or society.
What words are commonly confused with "systemic"?
"systemic" is commonly confused with "systems", "systolic", "system". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "systemic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "systemic" is /sɪˈstɛmɪk/. 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 "systemic"?
From system + -ic. Doublet of systematic. 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 “systemic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-S-T-E-M-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sɪˈstɛmɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “systems” - see the side-by-side comparison. systemic vs systems
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list