incumbent

Name: incumbent, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/

//ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt// adj

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“incumbent” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,065. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,065
frequency rank, English: 17,902
“I” headwords: 14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.

Key facts for incumbent
Property	Value
Headword	incumbent
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#10,065
Misspellings tracked	14
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “incumbent” 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). incumbent lands here:

#10,065

#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 14 spelling variants around incumbent (IPA /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,065 among 17,902 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for incumbent, with forms such as "icnumbent", "inccumbent", and "incmubent". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin incumbentem + English -ent (suffix denoting the causing, doing, or promoting of an action). Incumbentem is the accusative singular of incumbēns (“reclining”), the present active participle of incumbō (“to lay upon, to lean or recline on; to fall … The correct English form is incumbent, spelled I-N-C-U-M-B-E-N-T.

Definition

1
Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.
2
Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.
3
Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.
4
Being the current holder of an office or a title; specifically (Christianity, obsolete), of an ecclesiastical benefice.
5
Oppressive, pressuring.
6
Followed by on or upon: imposed on one as an obligation, especially due to one's office or position.
7
Hanging or leaning over.
8
Putting much effort into an activity or some work.
9
Weighing on one's mind.

Etymology

From Latin incumbentem + English -ent (suffix denoting the causing, doing, or promoting of an action). Incumbentem is the accusative singular of incumbēns (“reclining”), the present active participle of incumbō (“to lay upon, to lean or recline on; to fall upon, to press down on”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘against; into; on, upon’) + *cumbō (“to lie down, recline”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱewb-).

This word in other languages

competente(Español)en titre(Français)abstützend(Deutsch)titular(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

icnumbent
inccumbent
incmubent
incubment
incumbbent
incumbennt
incumbentt
incumbetn
incumbnet
incumebnt
incummbent
inncumbent
inucmbent
nicumbent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "incumbent"

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 "incumbent"?

"incumbent" is spelled I-N-C-U-M-B-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/.

What does "incumbent" mean?

As an adjective, "incumbent" means: Chiefly followed by on or upon: leaning, or lying, reclining, or resting, on something else.

What are common misspellings of "incumbent"?

Common misspellings include "icnumbent", "inccumbent", "incmubent", "incubment", "incumbbent". The correct spelling is "incumbent".

How do you pronounce "incumbent"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "incumbent" is /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/. 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 "incumbent"?

From Latin incumbentem + English -ent (suffix denoting the causing, doing, or promoting of an action). Incumbentem is the accusative singular of incumbēns (“reclining”), the present active participle of incumbō (“to lay upon, to lean or recline on... 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.

Using “incumbent”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is I-N-C-U-M-B-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.