incinerate

/ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/

//ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“incinerate” is uncommon English (frequency #64,439 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,439
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To destroy by burning.

Key facts for incinerate
PropertyValue
Headwordincinerate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#64,439
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incinerate” 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). incinerate 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

incinerate is uncommon English at frequency #64,439 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for incinerate in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin incinerātus, perfect participle of incinerō (“to burn into ashes”), from cinis (“ashes”). The correct English form is incinerate, spelled I-N-C-I-N-E-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To destroy by burning.
  2. 2
    To annihilate (not necessarily by burning).

Etymology

From Latin incinerātus, perfect participle of incinerō (“to burn into ashes”), from cinis (“ashes”).

Synonyms

burnburn awayburn downburn upburn to a crispchar upcindercremateforburnforswealincineratescathetorch

Antonyms

extinguishsalvagesave

This word in other languages

incinerar(Español)incinérer(Français)verbrennen(Deutsch)incinerar(Português)

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 "incinerate"?
"incinerate" is spelled I-N-C-I-N-E-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/.
What does "incinerate" mean?
As a verb, "incinerate" means: To destroy by burning.
How do you pronounce "incinerate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incinerate" is /ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/. 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 "incinerate"?
From Latin incinerātus, perfect participle of incinerō (“to burn into ashes”), from cinis (“ashes”). 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 “incinerate”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-C-I-N-E-R-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈsɪnəɹeɪt/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list