incestuous

/ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/

//ɪnˈsɛstjuəs// adj

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

"incestuous" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incestuous” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,748. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,748
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to or engaging in incest.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incestuous · incestuous · English

incestuous · rank #40,748 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,748
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH iceman

Nearest frequency peer: iceman (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “incestuous”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “incestuous” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for incestuous
PropertyValue
Headwordincestuous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#40,748
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “incestuous”

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).incestuouslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “iceman” (#40,747), “iniquity” (#40,749), “hypertrophy” (#40,746). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incestuous” is #40,748. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around incestuous (IPA /ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,748 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for incestuous, with forms such as "icnestuous", "inccestuous", and "incesstuous". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From incest + -ous. The correct English form is incestuous, spelled I-N-C-E-S-T-U-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to or engaging in incest.
  2. 2
    Characterized by mutual relationships that are intimate and exclusive to the detriment of outsiders.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If you engaged in an incestuous relationship with a family member, that would make you an inbreeder.
  2. It’s an incestuous thing. Faculty at the liberal, Ivy League schools are involved in hiring other faculty, who later hire the next generation of faculty. There’s very little intellectual or philosophical diversity in our newsrooms as a result. Furthermore, as I pointed out in the book, there’s a large number of so-called journalists who work for Democrat…

Etymology

From incest + -ous.

Synonyms

incestualincesty

This word in other languages

incestuoso(Español)incestueux(Français)inzestuös(Deutsch)incestuoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnestuous
  • inccestuous
  • incesstuous
  • incestouus
  • incesttuous
  • incestuosu
  • incestuouss
  • incestuuos
  • incesutous
  • incetsuous
  • incsetuous
  • inecstuous
  • inncestuous
  • nicestuous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of incestuous - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

icnestuous2inccestuous1incesstuous1incestouus2incesttuous1incestuosu2incestuouss1incestuuos2
Edit distance from "incestuous"

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 "incestuous"?
"incestuous" is spelled I-N-C-E-S-T-U-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/.
What does "incestuous" mean?
As an adjective, "incestuous" means: Pertaining to or engaging in incest.
What are common misspellings of "incestuous"?
Common misspellings include "icnestuous", "inccestuous", "incesstuous", "incestouus", "incesttuous". The correct spelling is "incestuous".
How do you pronounce "incestuous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incestuous" is /ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/. 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 "incestuous"?
From incest + -ous. 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 "incestuous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hesitating#40,734geophysics#40,711lumberjack#40,785expandable#40,689

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

Lansdowne14 variantsmilitancy14 variantsextractor14 variantsemphysema14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list