improbability

/ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/

//ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“improbability” is uncommon English (frequency #76,872 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,872
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood.

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)

Where “improbability” 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). improbability lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

improbability is uncommon English at frequency #76,872 among 17,902 “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.

Etymology

From im- + probability.

This word in other languages

improbabilidad(Español)improbabilité(Français)

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.

Using “improbability”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-M-P-R-O-B-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪmˌpɹɒb.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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