incompetent

/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/

//ɪnˈkɒmpətənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“incompetent” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,078. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,078
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incompetent · incompetent · English

incompetent · rank #12,078 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #12,078
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inception

Nearest frequency peer: inception (-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 “incompetent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “incompetent” 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).

incompetent vs incompetence
83% similar

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

Key facts for incompetent
PropertyValue
Headwordincompetent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#12,078
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “incompetent”

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).incompetentlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “inception” (#12,077), “indefinitely” (#12,079), “inaccurate” (#12,076). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incompetent” is #12,078. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around incompetent (IPA /ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #12,078 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for incompetent, with forms such as "icnompetent", "inccompetent", and "incmopetent". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "incompetence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent. The correct English form is incompetent, spelled I-N-C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
  2. 2
    Unable to make rational decisions; insane or otherwise cognitively impaired.
  3. 3
    Opening too early during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or premature birth.
  4. 4
    Not resistant to deformation or flow.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: incapable, inable, unable
  2. Having an incompetent lawyer may be grounds for a retrial, but the lawyer in question probably doesn't know that.

Etymology

Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent.

This word in other languages

incompetente(Español)incompétent(Français)inkompetent(Deutsch)incompetente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnompetent
  • inccompetent
  • incmopetent
  • incomeptent
  • incommpetent
  • incompeetnt
  • incompetennt
  • incompetentt
  • incompetetn
  • incompetnet
  • incompettent
  • incomppetent
  • incompteent
  • incopmetent
  • inncompetent
  • inocmpetent
  • nicompetent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of incompetent - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

icnompetent2inccompetent1incmopetent2incomeptent2incommpetent1incompeetnt2incompetennt1incompetentt1
Edit distance from "incompetent"

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 "incompetent"?
"incompetent" is spelled I-N-C-O-M-P-E-T-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/.
What does "incompetent" mean?
As an adjective, "incompetent" means: Lacking the degree of ability and responsibility necessary to do a task successfully.
What words are commonly confused with "incompetent"?
"incompetent" is commonly confused with "incompetence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "incompetent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incompetent" is /ɪnˈkɒmpətənt/. 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 "incompetent"?
Borrowed from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem, from Latin incompetēns, equivalent to in- + competent. 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 "incompetent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fashionable#12,045drastically#12,037contracting#12,022approximate#12,181

Similar misspelling depth

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

proportions17 variantsmultiplayer17 variantsdistributor17 variantsbroadcaster17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list