inanition
/ɪnəˈnɪʃən/
"inanition" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“inanition” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of removing the contents of something; the state of being empty.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | inanition |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ɪnəˈnɪʃən/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “inanition” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for inanition is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnəˈnɪʃən/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for inanition, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English inanicioun, borrowed from Old French inanition, itself borrowed from Late Latin inānītio, from inānīre (“to make empty”), from inānis (“empty, vain”); see inane. The correct English form is inanition, spelled I-N-A-N-I-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of removing the contents of something; the state of being empty.
- 2A state of advanced lack of adequate nutrition, food, or water or a physiological inability to utilize them, with resulting weakness.
- 3A spiritual emptiness or lack of purpose or will to live, akin to nausea in existentialist philosophy.
Etymology
From Middle English inanicioun, borrowed from Old French inanition, itself borrowed from Late Latin inānītio, from inānīre (“to make empty”), from inānis (“empty, vain”); see inane.
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
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Using “inanition”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-A-N-I-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɪnəˈnɪʃən/ (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
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.