vivify

/ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/

//ˈvɪvɪfaɪ// verb

"vivify" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vivify” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To bring to life; to enliven.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vivify · vivify · English

vivify · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "V" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for vivify
PropertyValue
Headwordvivify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “vivify” in English

vivifyfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

vivify is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

vivify doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Old French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificō. The correct English form is vivify, spelled V-I-V-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bring to life; to enliven.
  2. 2
    To impart vitality to.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She seemed molded from fire and air, and vivified at some Voltaic pile of August thunder-clouds heaped against the sunset.
  2. Persephone, the life force which vivifies all in the spring time, producing the manifold harvests of earth, descends with Plouton to the under world in autumn.

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificō.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vivify"?
"vivify" is spelled V-I-V-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/.
What does "vivify" mean?
As a verb, "vivify" means: To bring to life; to enliven.
How do you pronounce "vivify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vivify" is /ˈvɪvɪfaɪ/. 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 "vivify"?
Borrowed from Old French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificō. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list