income tax

/ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/

//ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks// noun

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

"income-tax" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“income tax” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tax levied on earned and unearned income, net of allowed deductions.

Key facts for income tax
PropertyValue
Headwordincome tax
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “income tax” sits in English frequency

income tax falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

income tax is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A tax levied on earned and unearned income, net of allowed deductions.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for income tax, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From income + tax. The correct English form is income tax, spelled I-N-C-O-M-E- -T-A-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tax levied on earned and unearned income, net of allowed deductions.

Etymology

From income + tax.

This word in other languages

impôt sur le revenu(Français)Einkommensteuer(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "income tax"?
"income tax" is spelled I-N-C-O-M-E- -T-A-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/.
What does "income tax" mean?
As a noun, "income tax" means: A tax levied on earned and unearned income, net of allowed deductions.
How do you pronounce "income tax"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "income tax" is /ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/. 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 "income tax"?
From income + tax. 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 “income tax”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-C-O-M-E- -T-A-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪnˌkʌm tæks/ (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
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