inferno
/ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/noun
inferno is spelled I-N-F-E-R-N-O: 7 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,589th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, inferno means “A place or situation resembling Hell” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of inferno is infernos.
How many letters and syllables are in inferno?
| Letters | 7: I-N-F-E-R-N-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.0 times per million words; the 19,589th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is inferno?
Inferno appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,589th 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 inferno?
- US /ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/
Inferno has 3 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-inferno.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-inferno.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of inferno
- infernos plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inferno mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A place or situation resembling Hell.
- 2
A large fire; a conflagration.
The inferno ripped through the forest, destroying anything in its path.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inferno in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | enfer , incendie, brasier |
| German | Hölle, Inferno |
| Portuguese | inferno , fogo grande |
| Spanish | infierno , fuego grande |
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 inferno come from?
From Italian inferno (“hell”), from Latin infernus (“of the lower regions”), inferna (“the lower regions”); see infernal. The meaning "big fire" came as a figurative use from the traditional idea of hellfire.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).