ineffective
/ˌɪn.ɪˈfɛk.tɪv/adjective
ineffective is spelled I-N-E-F-F-E-C-T-I-V-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, ineffective means “Not having the desired effect; ineffectual; otiose” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in ineffective?
| Letters | 11: I-N-E-F-F-E-C-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.6 times per million words; the 11,870th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is ineffective?
Ineffective appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ineffective?
- /ˌɪn.ɪˈfɛk.tɪv/
- /ˌɪn.əˈfɛk.tɪv/
- Australia /ˌɪn.əˈfek.tɪv/
Ineffective has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Jjamesryan-ineffective.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of ineffective
- more ineffective comparative
- most ineffective superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ineffective mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not having the desired effect; ineffectual; otiose.
- 2
Lacking in ability; incompetent or inadequate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ineffective in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | wirkungslos , unfähig |
| Spanish | ineficaz, inoperante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does ineffective come from?
From in- + effective.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).