improbability

/ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

//ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti// noun

"improbability" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“improbability” is uncommon English (frequency #76,872 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,872
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood.

Corpus desk

Index EN-improbability · improbability · English

improbability · rank #76,872 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #76,872
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH igniter

Nearest frequency peer: igniter (-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 “improbability”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for improbability
PropertyValue
Headwordimprobability
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
Letters13
Frequency rank#76,872
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “improbability” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “igniter” (#76,871), “Imtiaz” (#76,873), “inactivate” (#76,874). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “improbability” is #76,872. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

improbability is uncommon English at frequency #76,872 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

improbability doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From im- + probability. The correct English form is improbability, spelled I-M-P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood.
  2. 2
    That which is improbable; an improbable event or result.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. "I really," returned the other with a sneer, "cannot agree about probabilities or improbabilities, but I know what the generality will think when they see a gentleman constantly with five very pretty girls, and I also know what they will say."

Etymology

From im- + probability.

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); 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 "improbability"?
"improbability" is spelled I-M-P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/.
What does "improbability" mean?
As a noun, "improbability" means: The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood.
How do you pronounce "improbability"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "improbability" is /ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/. 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 "improbability"?
From im- + probability. 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 "improbability", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list