influential

/ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/

//ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl// adj

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

The verdict

“influential” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,151 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,151
frequency rank, English
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having or exerting influence.

Key facts for influential
PropertyValue
Headwordinfluential
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#6,151
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “influential” 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). influential 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 influential is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,151 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Having or exerting influence.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for influential, with forms such as "ifnluential", "inffluential", and "infleuntial". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin īnfluentiālis, from īnfluentia + -ālis. By surface analysis, influence + -ial. The correct English form is influential, spelled I-N-F-L-U-E-N-T-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having or exerting influence.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin īnfluentiālis, from īnfluentia + -ālis. By surface analysis, influence + -ial.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ifnluential,inffluential,infleuntial,inflluential,influenital,influenntial,influentail,influentiall,influentila,influenttial,influetnial,influnetial,infulential,inlfuential,innfluential,nifluential

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ifnluential2inffluential1infleuntial2inflluential1influenital2influenntial1influentail2influentiall1
Edit distance from "influential"

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 "influential"?
"influential" is spelled I-N-F-L-U-E-N-T-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/.
What does "influential" mean?
As an adjective, "influential" means: Having or exerting influence.
What are common misspellings of "influential"?
Common misspellings include "ifnluential", "inffluential", "infleuntial", "inflluential", "influenital". The correct spelling is "influential".
How do you pronounce "influential"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "influential" is /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/. 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 "influential"?
From Medieval Latin īnfluentiālis, from īnfluentia + -ālis. By surface analysis, influence + -ial. 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 “influential”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-F-L-U-E-N-T-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnflʊˈɛnʃəl/ (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