terrific

/təˈɹɪfɪk/

//təˈɹɪfɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“terrific” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,364. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,364
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Terrifying, causing terror; terrible; sublime, awe-inspiring.

Corpus desk

Index EN-terrific · terrific · English

terrific · rank #8,364 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,364
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Tel

Nearest frequency peer: Tel (-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 “terrific”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “terrific” 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).

terrific vs terrify
75% similar
terrific vs terrified
78% similar

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

Key facts for terrific
PropertyValue
Headwordterrific
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/təˈɹɪfɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,364
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “terrific”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).terrificlands 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 “Tel” (#8,363), “theres” (#8,365), “sworn” (#8,362). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “terrific” is #8,364. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around terrific (IPA /təˈɹɪfɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,364 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrific, with forms such as "etrrific", "terific", and "terirfic". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "terrify", "terrified", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French terrifique, and its source, Latin terrificus (“terrifying”), from terrēre (“to frighten, terrify”) + -ficus, related to facere (“to make”). By surface analysis, terrify + -ic. The sense of excellent or amazing is an ameliorative semantic shift f… The correct English form is terrific, spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Terrifying, causing terror; terrible; sublime, awe-inspiring.
  2. 2
    Very strong or intense; excessive, tremendous.
  3. 3
    Extremely good; excellent, amazing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [T]he diſmal ſhrieks of demoniac rage […] rouſed phantoms of horror in her mind, far more terrific than all that dreaming ſuperſtition ever drew.
  2. Think of wandering amid sepulchral ruins, of stumbling over the bones of the dead, of encountering what I cannot describe,—the horror of being among those who are neither the living or the dead;—those dark and shadowless things that sport themselves with the reliques of the dead, and feast and love amid corruption,—ghastly, mocking, and terrific.

Etymology

From French terrifique, and its source, Latin terrificus (“terrifying”), from terrēre (“to frighten, terrify”) + -ficus, related to facere (“to make”). By surface analysis, terrify + -ic. The sense of excellent or amazing is an ameliorative semantic shift from the original sense of terrifying. Compare similar semantic development in sick and wicked.

Synonyms

brillianthorrific

This word in other languages

estupendo(Español)terrifiant(Français)fürchterlich(Deutsch)tremendo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrrific
  • terific
  • terirfic
  • terrfiic
  • terrifci
  • terriffic
  • terrificc
  • terriifc
  • trerific
  • tterrific

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrrific2terific1terirfic2terrfiic2terrifci2terriffic1terrificc1terriifc2
Edit distance from "terrific"

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 "terrific"?
"terrific" is spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈɹɪfɪk/.
What does "terrific" mean?
As an adjective, "terrific" means: Terrifying, causing terror; terrible; sublime, awe-inspiring.
What words are commonly confused with "terrific"?
"terrific" is commonly confused with "terrify", "terrified". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terrific"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrific" is /təˈɹɪfɪk/. 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 "terrific"?
From French terrifique, and its source, Latin terrificus (“terrifying”), from terrēre (“to frighten, terrify”) + -ficus, related to facere (“to make”). By surface analysis, terrify + -ic. The sense of excellent or amazing is an ameliorative semant... 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 "terrific", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sounding#8,352shepherd#8,348accessed#8,381respects#8,342

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

adverse10 variantsrebuild10 variantscellular10 variantsdislike10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list