terrible

Name: terrible, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈtɛɹəbl̩/

//ˈtɛɹəbl̩// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“terrible” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,019 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,019
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

terrible vs terribly

88% similar

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

Key facts for terrible
Property	Value
Headword	terrible
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˈtɛɹəbl̩/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#2,019
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “terrible” 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). terrible lands here:

#2,019

#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 terrible is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,019 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrible, with forms such as "etrrible", "terible", and "terirble". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "terribly", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin terribilisbor. Old French te… The correct English form is terrible, spelled T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E.

Definition

1
Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome
2
Formidable, powerful.
3
Intense; extreme in degree or extent.
4
Very unpleasant; disagreeable.
5
Very bad; lousy.
6
Prone to a particular temptation.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin terribilisbor. Old French terriblebor. Middle English terrible English terrible Inherited from Middle English terrible, from Old French terrible, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terreō (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter. By surface analysis, terror + -ible.

Antonyms

excellent

This word in other languages

terrible(Español)terrible(Français)schrecklich(Deutsch)terrível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etrrible,terible,terirble,terrable,terrbile,terribble,terribel,terriblle,terrilbe,trerible,tterrible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of terrible - 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.

Edit distance from "terrible"

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 "terrible"?

"terrible" is spelled T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/.

What does "terrible" mean?

As an adjective, "terrible" means: Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

What words are commonly confused with "terrible"?

"terrible" is commonly confused with "terribly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "terrible"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrible" is /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/. 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 "terrible"?

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 “terrible”

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

The one correct English spelling is T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈtɛɹəbl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “terribly” - see the side-by-side comparison. terrible vs terribly
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.