inflexible

/ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩/

//ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“inflexible” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,284. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,284
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inflexible · inflexible · English

inflexible · rank #33,284 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,284
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inflationary

Nearest frequency peer: inflationary (-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 “inflexible”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “inflexible” 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 inflexible
PropertyValue
Headwordinflexible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#33,284
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “inflexible”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).inflexiblelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “inflationary” (#33,283), “inflow” (#33,285), “inefficiency” (#33,282). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inflexible” is #33,284. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around inflexible (IPA /ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #33,284 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for inflexible, with forms such as "ifnlexible", "infelxible", and "infflexible". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French inflexible, from Latin īnflexibilis. See also in- + flexible. The correct English form is inflexible, spelled I-N-F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent.
  2. 2
    Not willing to change, e.g. one's opinion or habits.
  3. 3
    Not able to be changed or adapted to circumstances.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Being so inflexible, the railway was easy prey to road competition, and the arrival of unregulated lorry transport from farm fields to town centres quickly captured all locally generated business.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French inflexible, from Latin īnflexibilis. See also in- + flexible.

Synonyms

unflexible

Antonyms

flexible

This word in other languages

inflexible(Español)inflexible(Français)unflexibel(Deutsch)inflexível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ifnlexible
  • infelxible
  • infflexible
  • infleixble
  • inflexable
  • inflexbile
  • inflexibble
  • inflexibel
  • inflexiblle
  • inflexilbe
  • inflexxible
  • infllexible
  • inflxeible
  • inlfexible
  • innflexible
  • niflexible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ifnlexible2infelxible2infflexible1infleixble2inflexable1inflexbile2inflexibble1inflexibel2
Edit distance from "inflexible"

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 "inflexible"?
"inflexible" is spelled I-N-F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩/.
What does "inflexible" mean?
As an adjective, "inflexible" means: Not flexible; not capable of bending or being bent.
What are common misspellings of "inflexible"?
Common misspellings include "ifnlexible", "infelxible", "infflexible", "infleixble", "inflexable". The correct spelling is "inflexible".
How do you pronounce "inflexible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inflexible" is /ɪnˈflɛksəbl̩/. 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 "inflexible"?
Borrowed from Middle French inflexible, from Latin īnflexibilis. See also in- + flexible. 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 "inflexible", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

immaterial#33,279knighthood#33,302kryptonite#33,303lifesaving#33,309

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

inefficiency16 variantsgeometrical16 variantsdownsizing16 variantsdistorting16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list