inflame

/ɪnˈfleɪm/

//ɪnˈfleɪm// verb

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

"inflame" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inflame” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #48,291 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#48,291
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, flame, or glow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inflame vs inflate
86% similar
inflame vs inflated
75% similar
inflame vs inflamed
88% similar

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

Key facts for inflame
PropertyValue
Headwordinflame
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈfleɪm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#48,291
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inflame” 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). inflame 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 inflame is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈfleɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #48,291 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for inflame, with forms such as "ifnlame", "infalme", and "infflame". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "inflate", "inflated", "inflamed", 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 Middle English inflammen, enflamen, enflaumen, from Old French enflammer (“to inflame”), from Latin inflammō (“to kindle, set on fire”, verb), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”), equivalent to in- + flame. The correct English form is inflame, spelled I-N-F-L-A-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, flame, or glow.
  2. 2
    To kindle or intensify (a feeling, as passion or appetite); to excite to an excessive or unnatural action or heat.
  3. 3
    To provoke (a person) to anger or rage; to exasperate; to irritate; to incense; to enrage.
  4. 4
    To put in a state of inflammation; to produce morbid heat, congestion, or swelling, of.
  5. 5
    To exaggerate; to enlarge upon.
  6. 6
    To grow morbidly hot, congested, or painful; to become angry or incensed.

Etymology

From Middle English inflammen, enflamen, enflaumen, from Old French enflammer (“to inflame”), from Latin inflammō (“to kindle, set on fire”, verb), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”), equivalent to in- + flame.

This word in other languages

allumer(Français)anzünden(Deutsch)inflamar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ifnlame,infalme,infflame,inflaem,inflamme,infllame,inflmae,inlfame,innflame,niflame

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inflame - 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.

ifnlame2infalme2infflame1inflaem2inflamme1infllame1inflmae2inlfame2
Edit distance from "inflame"

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 "inflame"?
"inflame" is spelled I-N-F-L-A-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈfleɪm/.
What does "inflame" mean?
As a verb, "inflame" means: To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, flame, or glow.
What words are commonly confused with "inflame"?
"inflame" is commonly confused with "inflate", "inflated", "inflamed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inflame"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inflame" is /ɪnˈfleɪm/. 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 "inflame"?
From Middle English inflammen, enflamen, enflaumen, from Old French enflammer (“to inflame”), from Latin inflammō (“to kindle, set on fire”, verb), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”), equivalent to in- + flame. 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 “inflame”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-F-L-A-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈfleɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “inflate” - see the side-by-side comparison. inflame vs inflate
  • 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