inflection

/ɪnˈflɛkʃən/

//ɪnˈflɛkʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“inflection” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,686 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,686
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inflection vs injection
80% similar
inflection vs inspection
80% similar
inflection vs infraction
80% similar

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

Key facts for inflection
PropertyValue
Headwordinflection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈflɛkʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#33,686
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inflection” 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). inflection 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 inflection is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈflɛkʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,686 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for inflection, with forms such as "ifnlection", "infelction", and "infflection". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "injection", "inspection", "infraction", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From older inflexion, borrowed from Middle French inflexion, itself borrowed from Latin inflexiōnem (“alteration”, literally “bending”). The English spelling with ⟨ct⟩ is due to influence from inflect or related words like correction. The correct English form is inflection, spelled I-N-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
  2. 2
    The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
  3. 3
    The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
  4. 4
    The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
  5. 5
    A change in pitch or tone of voice.
  6. 6
    A change in curvature from concave to convex or from convex to concave.
  7. 7
    A turning away from a straight course.
  8. 8
    Diffraction.

Etymology

From older inflexion, borrowed from Middle French inflexion, itself borrowed from Latin inflexiōnem (“alteration”, literally “bending”). The English spelling with ⟨ct⟩ is due to influence from inflect or related words like correction.

Synonyms

flectionflexion

This word in other languages

flexión(Español)flexion(Français)Flexion(Deutsch)flexão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ifnlection,infelction,infflection,inflcetion,inflecction,infleciton,inflecsion,inflectino,inflectionn,inflectoin,inflecttion,infletcion,infllection,inlfection,innflection,niflection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ifnlection2infelction2infflection1inflcetion2inflecction1infleciton2inflecsion1inflectino2
Edit distance from "inflection"

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 "inflection"?
"inflection" is spelled I-N-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈflɛkʃən/.
What does "inflection" mean?
As a noun, "inflection" means: The linguistic phenomenon of morphological variation, whereby terms take a number of distinct forms in order to express different grammatical features.
What words are commonly confused with "inflection"?
"inflection" is commonly confused with "injection", "inspection", "infraction". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inflection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inflection" is /ɪnˈflɛkʃən/. 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 "inflection"?
From older inflexion, borrowed from Middle French inflexion, itself borrowed from Latin inflexiōnem (“alteration”, literally “bending”). The English spelling with ⟨ct⟩ is due to influence from inflect or related words like correction. 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 “inflection”

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

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