inculcate

/ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/

//ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“inculcate” is uncommon English (frequency #67,527 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,527
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To teach by repeated instruction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inculcate · inculcate · English

inculcate · rank #67,527 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,527
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH imputation

Nearest frequency peer: imputation (-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 “inculcate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for inculcate
PropertyValue
Headwordinculcate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#67,527
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inculcate” 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).inculcatefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “imputation” (#67,526), “indole” (#67,528), “improbably” (#67,525). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inculcate” is #67,527. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inculcate is uncommon English at frequency #67,527 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for inculcate, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin inculcātus, perfect passive participle of inculcō (“impress upon, force upon”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + calcō (“tread upon, trample”), from calx (“heel”). Participial usage o… The correct English form is inculcate, spelled I-N-C-U-L-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To teach by repeated instruction.
  2. 2
    To induce understanding or a particular sentiment in a person or persons.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Those impious Pigs, Who, by frequent squeaks, have dared impugn The settled Swellfoot system, or to make Irreverent mockery of the genuflexions Inculcated by the arch-priest, have been whipt Into a loyal and an orthodox whine.
  2. she had a perfect Parisian accent, was musical—all French women sing—had a great deal of tournure, the value of which she was always inculcating on her pupils: "La Grace plus belle que la beauté," was invariably the quotation when putting on her shawl; and, it must be confessed, that never did five English girls put on shawls to such perfection.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin inculcātus, perfect passive participle of inculcō (“impress upon, force upon”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + calcō (“tread upon, trample”), from calx (“heel”). Participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

This word in other languages

inculcar(Español)inculquer(Français)einimpfen(Deutsch)inculcar(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 "inculcate"?
"inculcate" is spelled I-N-C-U-L-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/.
What does "inculcate" mean?
As a verb, "inculcate" means: To teach by repeated instruction.
How do you pronounce "inculcate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inculcate" is /ˈɪn.kʌl.keɪt/. 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 "inculcate"?
Borrowed from Latin inculcātus, perfect passive participle of inculcō (“impress upon, force upon”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + calcō (“tread upon, trample”), from calx (“heel”). Participi... 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 "inculcate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

immensity#67,522hyperloop#67,515irascible#67,540jockeying#67,556

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list