inference

/ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/

//ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns// noun

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

"inference" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inference” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,963 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,963
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

inference vs influence
78% similar

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

Key facts for inference
PropertyValue
Headwordinference
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#20,963
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inference” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). inference lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for inference is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,963 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for inference, with forms such as "ifnerence", "inefrence", and "infeernce". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "influence", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin inferentia. Morphologically infer + -ence. The correct English form is inference, spelled I-N-F-E-R-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.
  2. 2
    That which is inferred; a truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion; a deduction.
  3. 3
    Output generated by a trained machine learning model as it applies learned patterns to new data.
  4. 4
    An instance or example of this, such as a prediction, classification, decision, etc.

Etymology

From Latin inferentia. Morphologically infer + -ence.

This word in other languages

inferencia(Español)inférence(Français)Schlussfolgern(Deutsch)inferência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ifnerence,inefrence,infeernce,inferance,inferecne,inferencce,inferenec,inferennce,infernece,inferrence,infference,infreence,innference,niference

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inference - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ifnerence2inefrence2infeernce2inferance1inferecne2inferencce1inferenec2inferennce1
Edit distance from "inference"

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 "inference"?
"inference" is spelled I-N-F-E-R-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/.
What does "inference" mean?
As a noun, "inference" means: The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction.
What words are commonly confused with "inference"?
"inference" is commonly confused with "influence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inference"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inference" is /ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/. 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 "inference"?
From Latin inferentia. Morphologically infer + -ence. 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.

Using “inference”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-F-E-R-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪn.fə.ɹəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “influence” - see the side-by-side comparison. inference vs influence
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list