# infant

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɪn.fənt/ · frequency rank #7,236

## Definitions
1. A very young human being, from birth to somewhere between six months and two years of age after birth, needing almost constant care and attention.
2. A minor.
3. A student in an infant school or the first part of a primary school.
4. A noble or aristocratic youth.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English infaunt, borrowed from Latin īnfantem, accusative masculine singular of īnfāns, nominal use of the adjective meaning 'not able to speak', from īn- (“not”) + fāns, present participle of for (“to speak”). The verb is from Anglo-Norman enfanter, from the same Latin source. Doublet of infante.

## Easily confused with
- **Inman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-inman)
- **Irfan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-irfan)
- **insane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-insane)
- **intent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-intent)
- **intact** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-intact)
- **inland** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-inland)
- **invent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-invent)
- **infect** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-infect)
- **instant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-instant)
- **infants** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-infants)
- **infantry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infant-vs-infantry)
- **inane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inane-vs-infant)
- **infamy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infamy-vs-infant)
- **infancy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infancy-vs-infant)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ifnant`, `inafnt`, `infannt`, `infantt`, `infatn`, `inffant`, `infnat`, `innfant`, `nifant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/infant