infiltrate

/ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt/

//ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt// verb

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

"infiltrate" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“infiltrate” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,964. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,964
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To surreptitiously penetrate, enter or gain access to.

Corpus desk

Index EN-infiltrate · infiltrate · English

infiltrate · rank #20,964 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,964
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inference

Nearest frequency peer: inference (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “infiltrate”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “infiltrate” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for infiltrate
PropertyValue
Headwordinfiltrate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#20,964
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “infiltrate”

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).infiltratelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “inference” (#20,963), “inflatable” (#20,965), “Ingrid” (#20,966). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “infiltrate” is #20,964. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around infiltrate (IPA /ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #20,964 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for infiltrate, with forms such as "ifniltrate", "inffiltrate", and "infilltrate". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English infiltrate (adjective), from Medieval Latin infiltrātus, from infiltrō. The correct English form is infiltrate, spelled I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To surreptitiously penetrate, enter or gain access to.
  2. 2
    To cause to penetrate in this way.
  3. 3
    To pass through something by filtration.
  4. 4
    To cause (a liquid) to pass through something by filtration.
  5. 5
    To invade or penetrate a tissue or organ.
  6. 6
    To send (soldiers, spies, etc.) through gaps in the enemy line.
  7. 7
    To move from a vein, remaining in the body.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The spy infiltrated the high-tech company and stole many secrets.
  2. Caithness was infiltrated with a palpable sense of being underimagined.

Etymology

From Middle English infiltrate (adjective), from Medieval Latin infiltrātus, from infiltrō.

This word in other languages

infiltrer(Français)infiltrieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ifniltrate
  • inffiltrate
  • infilltrate
  • infilrtate
  • infiltarte
  • infiltraet
  • infiltratte
  • infiltrrate
  • infiltrtae
  • infilttrate
  • infitlrate
  • inflitrate
  • inifltrate
  • innfiltrate
  • nifiltrate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ifniltrate2inffiltrate1infilltrate1infilrtate2infiltarte2infiltraet2infiltratte1infiltrrate1
Edit distance from "infiltrate"

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 "infiltrate"?
"infiltrate" is spelled I-N-F-I-L-T-R-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt/.
What does "infiltrate" mean?
As a verb, "infiltrate" means: To surreptitiously penetrate, enter or gain access to.
What are common misspellings of "infiltrate"?
Common misspellings include "ifniltrate", "inffiltrate", "infilltrate", "infilrtate", "infiltarte". The correct spelling is "infiltrate".
How do you pronounce "infiltrate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "infiltrate" is /ˈɪnfɪltɹeɪt/. 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 "infiltrate"?
From Middle English infiltrate (adjective), from Medieval Latin infiltrātus, from infiltrō. 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 "infiltrate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

inflatable#20,965impeccable#20,960intolerant#20,970headmaster#20,947

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

firsthand15 variantsemigration15 variantspessimistic15 variantsbulletproof15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list