incriminate

/ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/

//ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“incriminate” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,289. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,289
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To accuse or bring criminal charges against.

Corpus desk

Index EN-incriminate · incriminate · English

incriminate · rank #48,289 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,289
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH infill

Nearest frequency peer: infill (+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 “incriminate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “incriminate” 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
Key facts for incriminate
PropertyValue
Headwordincriminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#48,289
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “incriminate”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).incriminatelands 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 “infill” (#48,290), “inflame” (#48,291), “hysterics” (#48,286). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “incriminate” is #48,289. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around incriminate (IPA /ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #48,289 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for incriminate, with forms such as "icnriminate", "inccriminate", and "incirminate". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin incriminatum, past participle of incrimino, from Latin in + crimino. The correct English form is incriminate, spelled I-N-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To accuse or bring criminal charges against.
  2. 2
    To indicate the guilt of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The newspapers incriminated the innocent man unjustly.
  2. We have all sorts of evidence which incriminates you.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin incriminatum, past participle of incrimino, from Latin in + crimino.

Synonyms

accriminateaccuseappeacharraignbecrychargecriminatehave upincriminateinculpateindict

Antonyms

acquitrelease

This word in other languages

incriminar(Español)beschuldigen(Deutsch)incriminar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • icnriminate
  • inccriminate
  • incirminate
  • incriimnate
  • incrimiante
  • incriminaet
  • incriminatte
  • incriminnate
  • incrimintae
  • incrimminate
  • incrimniate
  • incrmiinate
  • incrriminate
  • inncriminate
  • inrciminate
  • nicriminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

icnriminate2inccriminate1incirminate2incriimnate2incrimiante2incriminaet2incriminatte1incriminnate1
Edit distance from "incriminate"

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 "incriminate"?
"incriminate" is spelled I-N-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/.
What does "incriminate" mean?
As a verb, "incriminate" means: To accuse or bring criminal charges against.
What are common misspellings of "incriminate"?
Common misspellings include "icnriminate", "inccriminate", "incirminate", "incriimnate", "incrimiante". The correct spelling is "incriminate".
How do you pronounce "incriminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incriminate" is /ɪŋˈkɹɪmɪneɪt/. 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 "incriminate"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin incriminatum, past participle of incrimino, from Latin in + crimino. 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 "incriminate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

lubricating#48,336exhortation#48,227eucharistic#48,223endometrial#48,219

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

interrogator16 variantsgunslinger16 variantsLethbridge16 variantsflatulence16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list