inept
/ɪˈnɛpt/adjective
inept is spelled I-N-E-P-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, inept means “Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in inept?
| Letters | 5: I-N-E-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is inept?
Inept appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd 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 inept?
- US /ɪˈnɛpt/
- Australia /ɪˈnept/
Inept has 2 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)-Vealhurl-inept.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with inept?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as inept from its last stressed vowel (/ɛpt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of inept
- more inept comparative
- most inept superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inept mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not able to do something; not proficient; displaying incompetence.
As a waiter, he was inept, so they put him in the kitchen.
- 2
Unfit; unsuitable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inept in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | inepte |
| German | unfähig , ungeeignet, untauglich |
| Portuguese | inapto, incapaz, incompetente |
| Spanish | inepto, incapaz |
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 inept come from?
Borrowed from Middle French inepte, from Latin ineptus, from in- + aptus (whence English apt).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).