inattentive

/ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv/

//ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv// adj

"inattentive" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inattentive” is uncommon English (frequency #56,825 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,825
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or pertaining to a lack of attention; not paying attention; careless.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inattentive · inattentive · English

inattentive · rank #56,825 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,825
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH indent

Nearest frequency peer: indent (+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 “inattentive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for inattentive
PropertyValue
Headwordinattentive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#56,825
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inattentive” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).inattentivefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “indent” (#56,826), “implantable” (#56,823), “indiscreet” (#56,827). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inattentive” is #56,825. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inattentive is uncommon English at frequency #56,825 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Of or pertaining to a lack of attention; not paying attention; careless.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for inattentive, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + attentive. The correct English form is inattentive, spelled I-N-A-T-T-E-N-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to a lack of attention; not paying attention; careless.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He was inattentive in class and did not do well in his exams.

Etymology

From in- + attentive.

Synonyms

Antonyms

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 "inattentive"?
"inattentive" is spelled I-N-A-T-T-E-N-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv/.
What does "inattentive" mean?
As an adjective, "inattentive" means: Of or pertaining to a lack of attention; not paying attention; careless.
How do you pronounce "inattentive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inattentive" is /ˌɪn.əˈtɛn.tɪv/. 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 "inattentive"?
From in- + attentive. 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 "inattentive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list