inclination

/ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

//ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“inclination” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,863. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,863
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A physical tilt or bend.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inclination · inclination · English

inclination · rank #17,863 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #17,863
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH immaculate

Nearest frequency peer: immaculate (-2 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 “inclination”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “inclination” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

inclination vs incarnation
82% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for inclination
PropertyValue
Headwordinclination
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#17,863
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “inclination”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).inclinationlands 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 “immaculate” (#17,861), “illiterate” (#17,860), “interpersonal” (#17,866). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inclination” is #17,863. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around inclination (IPA /ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,863 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for inclination, with forms such as "icnlination", "incclination", and "incilnation". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "incarnation", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English inclinacioun, inclinacyon, from Old French inclination and Latin inclīnātiō. Morphologically incline + -ation. The correct English form is inclination, spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A physical tilt or bend.
  2. 2
    A slant or slope.
  3. 3
    A tendency.
  4. 4
    The angle of intersection of a reference plane.
  5. 5
    A person or thing loved or admired.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The inclination of his head increased and he awoke with a start.
  2. The road up to the house had a steep inclination.

Etymology

From Middle English inclinacioun, inclinacyon, from Old French inclination and Latin inclīnātiō. Morphologically incline + -ation.

Synonyms

inclineincliningsteepnessleaningproclivitypropensity

This word in other languages

inclination(Français)Neigung(Deutsch)inclinação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnlination
  • incclination
  • incilnation
  • incliantion
  • inclinaiton
  • inclinasion
  • inclinatino
  • inclinationn
  • inclinatoin
  • inclinattion
  • inclinnation
  • inclintaion
  • incllination
  • inclniation
  • inlcination
  • innclination
  • niclination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inclination - 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.

icnlination2incclination1incilnation2incliantion2inclinaiton2inclinasion1inclinatino2inclinationn1
Edit distance from "inclination"

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 "inclination"?
"inclination" is spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/.
What does "inclination" mean?
As a noun, "inclination" means: A physical tilt or bend.
What words are commonly confused with "inclination"?
"inclination" is commonly confused with "incarnation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inclination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inclination" is /ˌɪn.klɪˈneɪ.ʃən/. 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 "inclination"?
From Middle English inclinacioun, inclinacyon, from Old French inclination and Latin inclīnātiō. Morphologically incline + -ation. 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 "inclination", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

interracial#17,867fluorescent#17,843firefighter#17,841masculinity#17,895

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

microscopic17 variantsCatholicism17 variantsundisclosed17 variantsadolescence17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list