ignoble

/ɪɡˈnəʊbəl/

//ɪɡˈnəʊbəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“ignoble” is uncommon English (frequency #71,582 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,582
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not noble; plebeian; common.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ignoble · ignoble · English

ignoble · rank #71,582 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #71,582
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Illingworth

Nearest frequency peer: Illingworth (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “ignoble”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “ignoble” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ignoble
PropertyValue
Headwordignoble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪɡˈnəʊbəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#71,582
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ignoble” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ignoblefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Illingworth” (#71,583), “IANA” (#71,580), “imperceptibly” (#71,585). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “ignoble” is #71,582. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ignoble is uncommon English at frequency #71,582 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪɡˈnəʊbəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for ignoble in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French ignoble, from Latin ignōbilis, from in- (“not”) + gnōbilis, later nōbilis (“noble”). The correct English form is ignoble, spelled I-G-N-O-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not noble; plebeian; common.
  2. 2
    Not honorable; base.
  3. 3
    Not a true or "noble" falcon; said of certain hawks, such as the goshawk.
  4. 4
    Of an element, dangerously reactive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I was not ignoble of descent.
  2. A base, ignoble mind, / That mounts no higher than a bird can soar.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ignoble, from Latin ignōbilis, from in- (“not”) + gnōbilis, later nōbilis (“noble”).

Synonyms

commonplebeianvulgardegeneratemeanbasevilelow-mindedreproachfulshamefuldisgraceful

Antonyms

noblenoblehonorable

This word in other languages

innoble(Español)indigne(Français)ignóbil(Português)

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 "ignoble"?
"ignoble" is spelled I-G-N-O-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪɡˈnəʊbəl/.
What does "ignoble" mean?
As an adjective, "ignoble" means: Not noble; plebeian; common.
How do you pronounce "ignoble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ignoble" is /ɪɡˈnəʊbəl/. 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 "ignoble"?
Borrowed from Middle French ignoble, from Latin ignōbilis, from in- (“not”) + gnōbilis, later nōbilis (“noble”). 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 "ignoble", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

isoform#71,602jujitsu#71,614gribble#71,547keyring#71,629

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list