terrify

/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/

//ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“terrify” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,249. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,249
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To frighten greatly; to fill with terror.

Corpus desk

Index EN-terrify · terrify · English

terrify · rank #37,249 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,249
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tenfold

Nearest frequency peer: tenfold (-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 “terrify”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “terrify” 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).

terrify vs terry
71% similar
terrify vs testify
71% similar
terrify vs terrier
71% similar

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

Key facts for terrify
PropertyValue
Headwordterrify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#37,249
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “terrify”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).terrifylands 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 “tenfold” (#37,248), “there're” (#37,251), “thrall” (#37,252). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “terrify” is #37,249. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around terrify (IPA /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #37,249 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrify, with forms such as "etrrify", "terify", and "terirfy". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "terry", "testify", "terrier", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare. The correct English form is terrify, spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To frighten greatly; to fill with terror.
  2. 2
    To menace or intimidate.
  3. 3
    To make terrible.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Your men are valiant but their number few, And cannot terrifie his mightie hoſt, […]

Etymology

From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare.

This word in other languages

aterrar(Español)terrifier(Français)erschrecken(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrrify
  • terify
  • terirfy
  • terrfiy
  • terriffy
  • terrifyy
  • terriyf
  • trerify
  • tterrify

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrrify2terify1terirfy2terrfiy2terriffy1terrifyy1terriyf2trerify2
Edit distance from "terrify"

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 "terrify"?
"terrify" is spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/.
What does "terrify" mean?
As a verb, "terrify" means: To frighten greatly; to fill with terror.
What words are commonly confused with "terrify"?
"terrify" is commonly confused with "terry", "testify", "terrier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terrify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrify" is /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ/. 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 "terrify"?
From Middle French terrifier, from Latin terrificare. 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 "terrify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tenfold#37,248Tianjin#37,254Trieste#37,260Tylenol#37,265

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

squint9 variantsspotter9 variantsSnoopy9 variantsverily9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list