inert
/ɪnˈɝt/adjective, noun, verb
inert is spelled I-N-E-R-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 25,751st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, inert means “Unable to move or act; inanimate” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in inert?
| Letters | 5: I-N-E-R-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 25,751st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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 inert?
Inert appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 25,751st 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 inert?
- UK /ɪnˈɜːt/
- UK /ɪˈnɜːt/
- US /ɪnˈɝt/
Inert 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: En-us-inert.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with inert?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as inert from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹt/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: inter, trine, retin, niter.
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 inert
- more inert comparative
- most inert superlative
- inerts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- inerting participle, present
- inerted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inert mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Unable to move or act; inanimate.
- 2
Sluggish or lethargic.
- 3
Not readily reacting with other elements or compounds.
- 4
Having no therapeutic action.
noun
- 1
A substance that does not react chemically.
verb
- 1
To fill with an inert gas to reduce the risk of explosion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inert in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 inert come from?
From French inerte, from Latin iners (“inactive, inert”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).