incline

/ɪnˈklaɪn/

//ɪnˈklaɪn// verb

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

"incline" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incline” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,868 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#23,868
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

incline vs inline
86% similar
incline vs include
71% similar
incline vs inkling
71% similar

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

Key facts for incline
PropertyValue
Headwordincline
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈklaɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#23,868
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incline” 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). incline lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for incline is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈklaɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,868 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for incline, with forms such as "icnline", "inccline", and "incilne". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "inline", "include", "inkling", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English enclinen, from Old French encliner (modern incliner), from Latin inclīnō (“incline, tilt”), from in- + clīnō (compare -cline), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The correct English form is incline, spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
  2. 2
    To slope.
  3. 3
    To tend to do or believe something, or move or be moved in a certain direction, away from a point of view, attitude, etc.

Etymology

From Middle English enclinen, from Old French encliner (modern incliner), from Latin inclīnō (“incline, tilt”), from in- + clīnō (compare -cline), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean).

This word in other languages

neigen(Deutsch)inclinar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: icnline,inccline,incilne,inclien,inclinne,inclline,inclnie,inlcine,inncline,nicline

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of incline - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

icnline2inccline1incilne2inclien2inclinne1inclline1inclnie2inlcine2
Edit distance from "incline"

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 "incline"?
"incline" is spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈklaɪn/.
What does "incline" mean?
As a verb, "incline" means: To bend or move (something) out of a given plane or direction, often the horizontal or vertical.
What words are commonly confused with "incline"?
"incline" is commonly confused with "inline", "include", "inkling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "incline"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incline" is /ɪnˈklaɪn/. 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 "incline"?
From Middle English enclinen, from Old French encliner (modern incliner), from Latin inclīnō (“incline, tilt”), from in- + clīnō (compare -cline), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). 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 “incline”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-C-L-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈklaɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “inline” - see the side-by-side comparison. incline vs inline
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list