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” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,967. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,967
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To draw air into the lungs, through the nose or mouth by action of the diaphragm.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inhale · inhale · English

inhale · rank #20,967 · 8 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,967
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ingrid

Nearest frequency peer: Ingrid (-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 “inhale”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “inhale” 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

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “inhale”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).inhalelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Ingrid” (#20,966), “instinctively” (#20,968), “inflatable” (#20,965). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inhale” is #20,967. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around inhale (IPA /ɪnˈheɪl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #20,967 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Please. I’m starved.” Her gaze followed the man with the meatpies while she inhaled deeply, trying to hold onto the heavenly scent. […] “I find myself ravenous for meatpie.”
  2. […] this room, where misfortune seems to ooze, where speculation lurks in corners, and of which Madame Vauquer inhales the warm, fetid air without being nauseated.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "inhale", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ingrid#20,966lament#20,982Hadley#20,945Maddie#20,991

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

lefty8 variantsgowns8 variantsMaxine8 variantsfloppy8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list