imbecile

/ɪmbəˈsiːl/

//ɪmbəˈsiːl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“imbecile” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,118. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,118
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a norma...

Corpus desk

Index EN-imbecile · imbecile · English

imbecile · rank #34,118 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,118
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hustling

Nearest frequency peer: hustling (-2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “imbecile”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “imbecile” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026
Key facts for imbecile
PropertyValue
Headwordimbecile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmbəˈsiːl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#34,118
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “imbecile” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). imbecile lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around imbecile (IPA /ɪmbəˈsiːl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,118 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for imbecile, with forms such as "ibmecile", "imbbecile", and "imbceile". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French imbécile, from Latin imbēcillus (“weak, feeble”), literally “without a staff”. The correct English form is imbecile, spelled I-M-B-E-C-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal five- to seven-year-old child.
  2. 2
    A fool, an idiot.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is an offence for a man to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman whom he knows to be an idiot or imbecile.
  2. VLADIMIR: Because he wouldn't save them. / ESTRAGON: From hell? / VLADIMIR: Imbecile! From death.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French imbécile, from Latin imbēcillus (“weak, feeble”), literally “without a staff”.

This word in other languages

imbécil(Español)imbécile(Français)Zurückgebliebener(Deutsch)imbecil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ibmecile
  • imbbecile
  • imbceile
  • imbeccile
  • imbeciel
  • imbecille
  • imbeclie
  • imbeicle
  • imebcile
  • immbecile
  • mibecile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ibmecile2imbbecile1imbceile2imbeccile1imbeciel2imbecille1imbeclie2imbeicle2
Edit distance from "imbecile"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "imbecile"?
"imbecile" is spelled I-M-B-E-C-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmbəˈsiːl/.
What does "imbecile" mean?
As a noun, "imbecile" means: A person with limited mental capacity who can perform tasks and think only like a young child, in medical circles meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a norma...
What are common misspellings of "imbecile"?
Common misspellings include "ibmecile", "imbbecile", "imbceile", "imbeccile", "imbeciel". The correct spelling is "imbecile".
How do you pronounce "imbecile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "imbecile" is /ɪmbəˈsiːl/. 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 "imbecile"?
Borrowed from Middle French imbécile, from Latin imbēcillus (“weak, feeble”), literally “without a staff”. 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 "imbecile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

hustling#34,116Huckabee#34,114imprison#34,122inasmuch#34,123

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

hillbilly11 variantsHickman11 variantskamikaze11 variantsKarlsson11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "imbecile". Here's where to go from here.

  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #34,118 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list