inflammable

/ɪnˈflæməbəl/

//ɪnˈflæməbəl// adj

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

"inflammable" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inflammable” is an uncommon English word, ranked #80,561 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#80,561
frequency rank, English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of burning.

Key facts for inflammable
PropertyValue
Headwordinflammable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈflæməbəl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,561
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inflammable” 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). inflammable 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 inflammable is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈflæməbəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #80,561 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.

No misspelling variants are generated for inflammable in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (“to set on fire”), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”). Equivalent to inflame + -able. The correct English form is inflammable, spelled I-N-F-L-A-M-M-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Capable of burning.
  2. 2
    Easily set on fire.
  3. 3
    Easily excited; set off by the slightest excuse; easily enraged or inflamed.
  4. 4
    Incapable of burning; not easily set on fire. From in- + flammable, via backformation.

Etymology

From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (“to set on fire”), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”). Equivalent to inflame + -able.

This word in other languages

inflamable(Español)inflammable(Français)brennbar(Deutsch)inflamável(Português)

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 "inflammable"?
"inflammable" is spelled I-N-F-L-A-M-M-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈflæməbəl/.
What does "inflammable" mean?
As an adjective, "inflammable" means: Capable of burning.
How do you pronounce "inflammable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inflammable" is /ɪnˈflæməbəl/. 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 "inflammable"?
From Middle French inflammable, from Medieval Latin īnflammābilis, from Latin īnflammāre (“to set on fire”), from in (“in, on”) + flamma (“flame”). Equivalent to inflame + -able. 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 “inflammable”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-F-L-A-M-M-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈflæməbəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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