indifferent

/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/

//ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“indifferent” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,253. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,253
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indifferent · indifferent · English

indifferent · rank #16,253 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,253
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inadvertently

Nearest frequency peer: inadvertently (-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 “indifferent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “indifferent” 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).

indifferent vs indifference
83% similar

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

Key facts for indifferent
PropertyValue
Headwordindifferent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#16,253
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indifferent”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).indifferentlands 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 “inadvertently” (#16,252), “inject” (#16,254), “insistence” (#16,255). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indifferent” is #16,253. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around indifferent (IPA /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #16,253 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for indifferent, with forms such as "idnifferent", "inddifferent", and "indfiferent". 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, "indifference", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens. By surface analysis, in- + different. The correct English form is indifferent, spelled I-N-D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
  2. 2
    Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
  3. 3
    Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).
  4. 4
    Having no preference.
  5. 5
    Unbiased, impartial, judging fairly.
  6. 6
    Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
  7. 7
    Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
  8. 8
    Not different; matching.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He was indifferent to the proposal, since it didn’t affect him, either way.
  2. “I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.” / “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.”

Etymology

From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens. By surface analysis, in- + different.

This word in other languages

indiferente(Español)indifférent(Français)gleichgültig(Deutsch)indiferente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnifferent
  • inddifferent
  • indfiferent
  • indifefrent
  • indiferent
  • indiffeernt
  • indifferennt
  • indifferentt
  • indifferetn
  • indiffernet
  • indifferrent
  • indiffreent
  • inidfferent
  • inndifferent
  • nidifferent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indifferent - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

idnifferent2inddifferent1indfiferent2indifefrent2indiferent1indiffeernt2indifferennt1indifferentt1
Edit distance from "indifferent"

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 "indifferent"?
"indifferent" is spelled I-N-D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/.
What does "indifferent" mean?
As an adjective, "indifferent" means: Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
What words are commonly confused with "indifferent"?
"indifferent" is commonly confused with "indifference". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indifferent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indifferent" is /ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/. 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 "indifferent"?
From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens. By surface analysis, in- + different. 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 "indifferent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

hostilities#16,249intimidated#16,257groundwater#16,246fulfillment#16,240

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

invariably15 variantsrestrained15 variantsRockefeller15 variantsshrinking15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list