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indifference

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

12 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "indifference", 12-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "indifference" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "indifference" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

indifference is aEnglishnoun. It means: The state of being indifferent. Pronounced /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/. Often confused with indifferent.

Key facts for indifference
PropertyValue
Headwordindifference
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/
Letters12
Frequency rank#18,586
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of indifference in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for indifference is 12 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,586 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 17 documented wrong-spelling variants for indifference, with forms such as "idnifference", "inddifference", and "indfiference". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "indifferent", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French indifférence, from Late Latin indifferentia. By surface analysis, in- + difference. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is indifference, spelled I-N-D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being indifferent.
  2. 2
    Unbiased impartiality.
  3. 3
    Unemotional apathy.
  4. 4
    A lack of enthusiasm.
  5. 5
    Unconcerned nonchalance.
  6. 6
    Self-identity defined through the negation of difference, non-difference.

Etymology

From Middle French indifférence, from Late Latin indifferentia. By surface analysis, in- + difference.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: idnifference,inddifference,indfiference,indifefrence,indiference,indiffeernce,indifferance,indifferecne,indifferencce,indifferenec,indifferennce,indiffernece,indifferrence,indiffreence,inidfference,inndifference,nidifference

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for indifference

Misspelling Variants of "indifference"

idnifference12inddifference13indfiference12indifefrence12indiference11indiffeernce12indifferance12indifferecne12
Misspelling Variants of "indifference"

Frequency rank: #18,586 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "indifference"?
"indifference" is spelled I-N-D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/.
What does "indifference" mean?
As a noun, "indifference" means: The state of being indifferent.
What words are commonly confused with "indifference"?
"indifference" is commonly confused with "indifferent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indifference"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indifference" is /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/. 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 "indifference"?
From Middle French indifférence, from Late Latin indifferentia. By surface analysis, in- + difference. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter I in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.