indelible

/ɪnˈdɛləbl/

//ɪnˈdɛləbl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“indelible” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,188. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,188
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having the quality of being difficult to delete, remove, wash away, blot out, or efface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indelible · indelible · English

indelible · rank #36,188 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #36,188
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Indochina

Nearest frequency peer: Indochina (+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 “indelible”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “indelible” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

indelible vs inedible
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for indelible
PropertyValue
Headwordindelible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈdɛləbl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,188
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indelible”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).indeliblelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Indochina” (#36,189), “infantile” (#36,190), “idolatry” (#36,185). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indelible” is #36,188. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around indelible (IPA /ɪnˈdɛləbl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #36,188 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for indelible, with forms such as "idnelible", "inddelible", and "indeilble". 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 also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "inedible", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin indelebilis (“indestructible”). The correct English form is indelible, spelled I-N-D-E-L-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having the quality of being difficult to delete, remove, wash away, blot out, or efface.
  2. 2
    Incapable of being canceled, lost, or forgotten.
  3. 3
    Incapable of being annulled.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This ink spot on the contract is indelible.
  2. This stain on my shirt is indelible.

Etymology

From Latin indelebilis (“indestructible”).

Antonyms

delible

This word in other languages

indeleble(Español)indélébile(Français)hartnäckig(Deutsch)indelével(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnelible
  • inddelible
  • indeilble
  • indelable
  • indelbile
  • indelibble
  • indelibel
  • indeliblle
  • indelilbe
  • indellible
  • indleible
  • inedlible
  • inndelible
  • nidelible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

idnelible2inddelible1indeilble2indelable1indelbile2indelibble1indelibel2indeliblle1
Edit distance from "indelible"

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 "indelible"?
"indelible" is spelled I-N-D-E-L-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɛləbl/.
What does "indelible" mean?
As an adjective, "indelible" means: Having the quality of being difficult to delete, remove, wash away, blot out, or efface.
What words are commonly confused with "indelible"?
"indelible" is commonly confused with "inedible". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indelible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indelible" is /ɪnˈdɛləbl/. 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 "indelible"?
From Latin indelebilis (“indestructible”). 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 "indelible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Indochina#36,189infantile#36,190Inglewood#36,192itinerant#36,201

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

icebreaker14 variantshijackers14 variantsGlamorgan14 variantsepigenetic14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list