infer

/ɪnˈfɜː/

//ɪnˈfɜː// verb

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

"infer" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“infer” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,568. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,568
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-infer · infer · English

infer · rank #23,568 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,568
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH indistinguish…

Nearest frequency peer: indistinguishable (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “infer”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “infer” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

infer vs info
60% similar
infer vs Iver
40% similar
infer vs inner
80% similar

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

Key facts for infer
PropertyValue
Headwordinfer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈfɜː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#23,568
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “infer” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).inferlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “indistinguishable” (#23,567), “inpatient” (#23,569), “incision” (#23,566). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around infer (IPA /ɪnˈfɜː/), averb. Corpus frequency is #23,568 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for infer, with forms such as "inefr", "inferr", and "inffer". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "info", "Iver", "inner", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “… The correct English form is infer, spelled I-N-F-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.
  2. 2
    To lead to (something) as a consequence; to imply.
  3. 3
    To cause, inflict (something) upon or to someone.
  4. 4
    To introduce (a subject) in speaking, writing etc.; to bring in, to adduce.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is dangerous to infer too much from martial bluster in British politics: at the first hint of trouble, channelling Churchill is a default tactic for beleaguered leaders of all sorts.
  2. a. 1535, Thomas More, letter to Fryth the fyrste parte is not the proofe of the second. but rather contrarywyse the seconde inferreth well yͤ fyrst.

Etymology

From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. Literally “carry forward”, equivalent to “bear in”, as in concluding from a premise. Doublet of inbear.

This word in other languages

inferir(Español)déduire(Français)schlussfolgern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inefr
  • inferr
  • inffer
  • infre
  • innfer
  • nifer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of infer - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inefr2inferr1inffer1infre2innfer1nifer2
Edit distance from "infer"

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 "infer"?
"infer" is spelled I-N-F-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈfɜː/.
What does "infer" mean?
As a verb, "infer" means: To introduce (something) as a reasoned conclusion; to conclude by reasoning or deduction, as from premises or evidence.
What words are commonly confused with "infer"?
"infer" is commonly confused with "info", "Iver", "inner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "infer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "infer" is /ɪnˈfɜː/. 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 "infer"?
From Latin inferō, from Latin in- (“in, at, on; into”) + Latin ferō (“bear, carry; suffer”) (cognate to Old English beran, whence English bear), from Proto-Italic *ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti (“to bear, carry”), from the root *bʰer-. L... 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 "infer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Imran#23,565Jiang#23,577Khmer#23,582Gayle#23,551

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

kennel6 variantskern6 variantsFarah6 variantsnelly6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "infer". Here's where to go from here.

  • "infer" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "info". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #23,568 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list