inhale

/ɪnˈheɪl/

//ɪnˈheɪl// verb

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

"inhale" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inhale” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,967 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#20,967
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To draw air into the lungs, through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inhale vs insane
67% similar
inhale vs intake
67% similar
inhale vs invade
67% similar

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

Key facts for inhale
PropertyValue
Headwordinhale
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈheɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,967
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inhale” 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). inhale 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 inhale is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈheɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,967 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for inhale, with forms such as "ihnale", "inahle", and "inhael". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "insane", "intake", "invade", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin inhalare (“to breathe on (breathe in)”), from in (“in, into, on”) + halare (“to breathe”). The correct English form is inhale, spelled I-N-H-A-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To draw air into the lungs, through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm.
  2. 2
    To draw air or any form of gas (either in a pure form, or mixed with small particles in the form of aerosols/smoke, sometimes stemming from a medicament) into the lungs, through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm.
  3. 3
    To eat very quickly.

Etymology

From Latin inhalare (“to breathe on (breathe in)”), from in (“in, into, on”) + halare (“to breathe”).

Antonyms

exhale

This word in other languages

inhalar(Español)inspirer(Français)einatmen(Deutsch)inalar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ihnale,inahle,inhael,inhalle,inhhale,inhlae,innhale,nihale

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ihnale2inahle2inhael2inhalle1inhhale1inhlae2innhale1nihale2
Edit distance from "inhale"

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 "inhale"?
"inhale" is spelled I-N-H-A-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈheɪl/.
What does "inhale" mean?
As a verb, "inhale" means: To draw air into the lungs, through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm.
What words are commonly confused with "inhale"?
"inhale" is commonly confused with "insane", "intake", "invade". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inhale"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inhale" is /ɪnˈheɪl/. 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 "inhale"?
From Latin inhalare (“to breathe on (breathe in)”), from in (“in, into, on”) + halare (“to breathe”). 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 “inhale”

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

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