# inferno

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪnˈfɝnoʊ/ · frequency rank #19,621

## Definitions
1. A place or situation resembling Hell.
2. A large fire; a conflagration.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **intern** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inferno-vs-intern)
- **infer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infer-vs-inferno)
- **inferior** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/inferior-vs-inferno)
- **infernal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/infernal-vs-inferno)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ifnerno`, `inefrno`, `infenro`, `infernno`, `inferon`, `inferrno`, `infferno`, `infreno`, `innferno`, `niferno`

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