ingenuity
/ˌɪnd͡ʒəˈn(j)uːəti/
"ingenuity" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ingenuity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,548 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #21,548
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ability to solve difficult problems in original, clever, and inventive ways; ingeniousness.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | ingenuity |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɪnd͡ʒəˈn(j)uːəti/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #21,548 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ingenuity” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ingenuity is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪnd͡ʒəˈn(j)uːəti/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,548 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for ingenuity, with forms such as "ignenuity", "inegnuity", and "ingeniuty". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "intensity", "inequity", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin ingenuitās. The correct English form is ingenuity, spelled I-N-G-E-N-U-I-T-Y.
Definition
- 1The ability to solve difficult problems in original, clever, and inventive ways; ingeniousness.
- 2An ingenuous action or thought.
- 3Ingenuousness; honesty, straightforwardness
Etymology
From Latin ingenuitās.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ignenuity,inegnuity,ingeniuty,ingennuity,ingenuitty,ingenuityy,ingenuiyt,ingenutiy,ingeunity,inggenuity,ingneuity,inngenuity,nigenuity
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ingenuity - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "ingenuity"?
What does "ingenuity" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "ingenuity"?
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Using “ingenuity”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-G-E-N-U-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɪnd͡ʒəˈn(j)uːəti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “intensity” - see the side-by-side comparison. ingenuity vs intensity
- 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.