incomprehensible

/ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l/

//ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l// adj

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

"incomprehensible" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incomprehensible” has 26 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,311. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,311
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
26
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Impossible or very difficult to understand.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incomprehensible · incomprehensible · English

incomprehensible · rank #23,311 · 26 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,311
  • LEN-MEGA 16 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 26 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hyatt

Nearest frequency peer: Hyatt (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “incomprehensible”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “incomprehensible” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for incomprehensible
PropertyValue
Headwordincomprehensible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l/
Letters16
Frequency rank#23,311
Misspellings tracked26
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incomprehensible” 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). incomprehensible lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 26 spelling variants around incomprehensible (IPA /ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #23,311 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 26 likely wrong-spelling variants for incomprehensible, with forms such as "icnomprehensible", "inccomprehensible", and "incmoprehensible". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French incomprehensible, from Latin incomprehensibilis. Equivalent to in- + comprehensible. The correct English form is incomprehensible, spelled I-N-C-O-M-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Impossible or very difficult to understand.
  2. 2
    Which cannot be contained; boundless, infinite.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But this inference, which is supported by the opening of Book I, renders incomprehensible the note "and I have finished writing this," which is included within the dream.
  2. In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent.

Etymology

From Middle French incomprehensible, from Latin incomprehensibilis. Equivalent to in- + comprehensible.

Synonyms

fathomlessunfathomableunintelligibleabstruseChinesedenseenigmaticGreekinapprehensibleincognizableincomprehensibleineffableinenubilableinexplicableimpenetrableinsensibleinscrutableinsolubleinsolvablemysteriousnonunderstandableobscureretrusetenebrosethickundecipherableundiscoverableunexplainableungraspableunknowableununderstandable

Antonyms

comprehensibleunderstandable

This word in other languages

incomprensible(Español)incompréhensible(Français)unverständlich(Deutsch)incompreensível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnomprehensible
  • inccomprehensible
  • incmoprehensible
  • incommprehensible
  • incomperhensible
  • incompprehensible
  • incompreehnsible
  • incomprehenisble
  • incomprehennsible
  • incomprehensable
  • incomprehensbile
  • incomprehensibble
  • incomprehensibel
  • incomprehensiblle
  • incomprehensilbe
  • incomprehenssible
  • incomprehesnible
  • incomprehhensible
  • incomprehnesible
  • incomprheensible
  • incomprrehensible
  • incomrpehensible
  • incopmrehensible
  • inncomprehensible
  • inocmprehensible
  • nicomprehensible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

icnomprehensible2inccomprehensible1incmoprehensible2incommprehensible1incomperhensible2incompprehensible1incompreehnsible2incomprehenisble2
Edit distance from "incomprehensible"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "incomprehensible"?
"incomprehensible" is spelled I-N-C-O-M-P-R-E-H-E-N-S-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l/.
What does "incomprehensible" mean?
As an adjective, "incomprehensible" means: Impossible or very difficult to understand.
What are common misspellings of "incomprehensible"?
Common misspellings include "icnomprehensible", "inccomprehensible", "incmoprehensible", "incommprehensible", "incomperhensible". The correct spelling is "incomprehensible".
How do you pronounce "incomprehensible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incomprehensible" is /ɪnˌkɒmpɹɪˈhɛnsɪb(ə)l/. 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 "incomprehensible"?
From Middle French incomprehensible, from Latin incomprehensibilis. Equivalent to in- + comprehensible. 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 "incomprehensible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 16 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

intercontinental#23,872autobiographical#24,089disqualification#25,040constitutionally#25,332

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (26 here; floor ≥5).

industrialization26 variantscounterproductive26 variantsNorthamptonshire26 variantsconstitutionality26 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "incomprehensible". Here's where to go from here.

  • 26 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #23,311 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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