induce

/ɪnˈduːs/

//ɪnˈduːs// verb

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

"induce" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“induce” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,736. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,736
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.

Corpus desk

Index EN-induce · induce · English

induce · rank #13,736 · 8 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,736
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH implication

Nearest frequency peer: implication (-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 “induce”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “induce” 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).

induce vs Indus
50% similar
induce vs Inoue
50% similar
induce vs insure
67% similar

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

Key facts for induce
PropertyValue
Headwordinduce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈduːs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,736
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “induce”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).inducelands 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 “implication” (#13,735), “insecurity” (#13,737), “Hoover” (#13,734). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “induce” is #13,736. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around induce (IPA /ɪnˈduːs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #13,736 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for induce, with forms such as "idnuce", "indcue", and "indduce". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "Indus", "Inoue", "insure", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin indūcere (“lead in, bring in, introduce”), from in + dūcō (“lead, conduct”). Compare also abduce, adduce, conduce, deduce, produce, reduce etc. Doublet of endue. The correct English form is induce, spelled I-N-D-U-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.
  2. 2
    To cause, bring about, lead to.
  3. 3
    To induce the labour of (a pregnant woman).
  4. 4
    To cause or produce (electric current or a magnetic state) by a physical process of induction.
  5. 5
    To infer by induction.
  6. 6
    To lead in, bring in, introduce.
  7. 7
    To draw on, place upon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on a certain afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.
  2. His meditation induced a compromise. Opium induces sleep.

Etymology

From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin indūcere (“lead in, bring in, introduce”), from in + dūcō (“lead, conduct”). Compare also abduce, adduce, conduce, deduce, produce, reduce etc. Doublet of endue.

This word in other languages

inducir(Español)induire(Français)anstacheln(Deutsch)induzir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnuce
  • indcue
  • indduce
  • inducce
  • induec
  • innduce
  • inudce
  • niduce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

idnuce2indcue2indduce1inducce1induec2innduce1inudce2niduce2
Edit distance from "induce"

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 "induce"?
"induce" is spelled I-N-D-U-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈduːs/.
What does "induce" mean?
As a verb, "induce" means: To lead by persuasion or influence; incite or prevail upon.
What words are commonly confused with "induce"?
"induce" is commonly confused with "Indus", "Inoue", "insure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "induce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "induce" is /ɪnˈduːs/. 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 "induce"?
From Middle English enducen, borrowed from Latin indūcere (“lead in, bring in, introduce”), from in + dūcō (“lead, conduct”). Compare also abduce, adduce, conduce, deduce, produce, reduce etc. Doublet of endue. 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 "induce", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hoover#13,734Harlem#13,732hanged#13,730fronts#13,726

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

lettuce8 variantsMalone8 variantsdocks8 variantscommute8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list