incorrigible

/ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l/

//ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l// adj

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

"incorrigible" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“incorrigible” is uncommon English (frequency #52,402 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,402
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Defective and impossible to materially correct or set aright.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incorrigible · incorrigible · English

incorrigible · rank #52,402 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,402
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inclusivity

Nearest frequency peer: inclusivity (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “incorrigible”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “incorrigible” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for incorrigible
PropertyValue
Headwordincorrigible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l/
Letters12
Frequency rank#52,402
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “incorrigible” in English

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).incorrigiblefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “inclusivity” (#52,401), “insinuation” (#52,404), “IHOP” (#52,399). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incorrigible” is #52,402. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

incorrigible is uncommon English at frequency #52,402 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

incorrigible doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English incorrigible, from Middle French incorrigible (1334), or directly from Latin incorrigibilis (“not to be corrected”), from in- (“not”) + corrigere (“to correct”) + -ibilis (“-able”), equivalent to in- + corrigible. Recorded since 1340. The correct English form is incorrigible, spelled I-N-C-O-R-R-I-G-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Defective and impossible to materially correct or set aright.
  2. 2
    Unmanageable; impervious to correction by punishment or pain.
  3. 3
    Incurably depraved; not reformable.
  4. 4
    Unchangeably established in a belief or habit.
  5. 5
    Intrinsically incapable of being corrected; impossible to disprove, by its very nature.
  6. 6
    Impossible to cure.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The construction flaw is incorrigible; any attempt to amend it would cause a complete collapse.
  2. an incorrigible youth

Etymology

From Middle English incorrigible, from Middle French incorrigible (1334), or directly from Latin incorrigibilis (“not to be corrected”), from in- (“not”) + corrigere (“to correct”) + -ibilis (“-able”), equivalent to in- + corrigible. Recorded since 1340.

Synonyms

irreparableuncorrectableirredeemableunreformablereprobatedetermineddyed-in-the-woolhopelessincurableunalterableaxiomaticunfalsifiableincurable

Antonyms

corrigiblecorrectable

This word in other languages

incorregible(Español)unverbesserbar(Deutsch)incorrigível(Português)

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 "incorrigible"?
"incorrigible" is spelled I-N-C-O-R-R-I-G-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(ə)l/.
What does "incorrigible" mean?
As an adjective, "incorrigible" means: Defective and impossible to materially correct or set aright.
How do you pronounce "incorrigible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incorrigible" is /ɪnˈkɒɹɪdʒəb(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 "incorrigible"?
From Middle English incorrigible, from Middle French incorrigible (1334), or directly from Latin incorrigibilis (“not to be corrected”), from in- (“not”) + corrigere (“to correct”) + -ibilis (“-able”), equivalent to in- + corrigible. Recorded sinc... 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 "incorrigible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

irreversibly#52,414luminescence#52,470monotheistic#52,504effervescent#52,288

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list