indulge

/ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/

//ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ// verb

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

"indulge" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“indulge” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,142. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,142
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To yield to a temptation or desire.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indulge · indulge · English

indulge · rank #14,142 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,142
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH icy

Nearest frequency peer: icy (-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 “indulge”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “indulge” 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).

indulge vs indulged
88% similar
indulge vs indulgent
78% similar
indulge vs induce
71% similar

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

Key facts for indulge
PropertyValue
Headwordindulge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,142
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “indulge”

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).indulgelands 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 “icy” (#14,141), “inmate” (#14,143), “hyped” (#14,140). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “indulge” is #14,142. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around indulge (IPA /ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,142 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for indulge, with forms such as "idnulge", "inddulge", and "indluge". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "indulged", "indulgent", "induce", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”). The correct English form is indulge, spelled I-N-D-U-L-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To yield to a temptation or desire.
  2. 2
    To satisfy the wishes or whims of.
  3. 3
    To give way to (a habit or temptation); to not oppose or restrain.
  4. 4
    To grant an extension to the deadline of a payment.
  5. 5
    To grant as by favour; to bestow in concession, or in compliance with a wish or request.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He looked at the chocolate but didn't indulge.
  2. I indulged in drinking on the weekend.

Etymology

From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”).

Synonyms

coddlecossetpamperspoilbabycockerfeatherbedindulgemollycoddlemothernamby-pambynannyposset

Antonyms

drivepushwork

This word in other languages

ceder(Español)céder(Français)nachgeben(Deutsch)sucumbir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnulge
  • inddulge
  • indluge
  • indugle
  • induleg
  • indulgge
  • indullge
  • inndulge
  • inudlge
  • nidulge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

idnulge2inddulge1indluge2indugle2induleg2indulgge1indullge1inndulge1
Edit distance from "indulge"

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 "indulge"?
"indulge" is spelled I-N-D-U-L-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/.
What does "indulge" mean?
As a verb, "indulge" means: To yield to a temptation or desire.
What words are commonly confused with "indulge"?
"indulge" is commonly confused with "indulged", "indulgent", "induce". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indulge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indulge" is /ɪnˈdʌld͡ʒ/. 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 "indulge"?
From Latin indulgeō (“to indulge”). 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 "indulge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hussein#14,139hurdles#14,138headset#14,134Gujarat#14,128

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

methane10 variantsensuing10 variantsdialect10 variantsoptimum10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list