terrifying

/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/

//ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ// adj

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

"terrifying" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“terrifying” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,753. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,753
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Frightening or intimidating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-terrifying · terrifying · English

terrifying · rank #7,753 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,753
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tense

Nearest frequency peer: tense (-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 “terrifying”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “terrifying” 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 terrifying
PropertyValue
Headwordterrifying
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#7,753
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “terrifying”

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).terrifyinglands 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 “tense” (#7,752), “Toyota” (#7,754), “tracked” (#7,755). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “terrifying” is #7,753. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around terrifying (IPA /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,753 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrifying, with forms such as "etrrifying", "terifying", and "terirfying". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is terrifying, spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-Y-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Frightening or intimidating.
  2. 2
    Of a formidable nature; terrific.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. terrifying creature
  2. terrifying dream

This word in other languages

terrorífico(Español)terrifiant(Français)furchteinflößend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrrifying
  • terifying
  • terirfying
  • terrfiying
  • terriffying
  • terrifiyng
  • terrifyign
  • terrifyingg
  • terrifyinng
  • terrifynig
  • terrifyying
  • terriyfing
  • trerifying
  • tterrifying

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrrifying2terifying1terirfying2terrfiying2terriffying1terrifiyng2terrifyign2terrifyingg1
Edit distance from "terrifying"

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 "terrifying"?
"terrifying" is spelled T-E-R-R-I-F-Y-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/.
What does "terrifying" mean?
As an adjective, "terrifying" means: Frightening or intimidating.
What are common misspellings of "terrifying"?
Common misspellings include "etrrifying", "terifying", "terirfying", "terrfiying", "terriffying". The correct spelling is "terrifying".
How do you pronounce "terrifying"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrifying" is /ˈtɛɹɪfaɪ.ɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "terrifying" come from?
"terrifying" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "terrifying", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

supervisor#7,749wilderness#7,763automobile#7,772meditation#7,714

Similar misspelling depth

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

sanctions14 variantssalvation14 variantslicensing14 variantsFrederick14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list