iniquity

/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/

//ɪnˈɪkwɪti// noun

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

"iniquity" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“iniquity” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,749. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,749
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-iniquity · iniquity · English

iniquity · rank #40,749 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,749
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH incestuous

Nearest frequency peer: incestuous (-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 “iniquity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “iniquity” 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).

iniquity vs inquiry
75% similar
iniquity vs inequity
88% similar

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

Key facts for iniquity
PropertyValue
Headwordiniquity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪnˈɪkwɪti/
Letters8
Frequency rank#40,749
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “iniquity”

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).iniquitylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “incestuous” (#40,748), “initiator” (#40,750), “iceman” (#40,747). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “iniquity” is #40,749. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around iniquity (IPA /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,749 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for iniquity, with forms such as "iinquity", "iniqiuty", and "iniqquity". 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, "inquiry", "inequity", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequality, unfair… The correct English form is iniquity, spelled I-N-I-Q-U-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.
  2. 2
    An act of great injustice or unfairness; a sinful or wicked act; an unconscionable deed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And bycauſe our auncient enemye the Deuyl, who is the well and, ſpryng of iniquitie, and is not onely hymſelfe an homycide, a lyer, and and^([sic]) hater of the truth frõ the beginnyng: [...] Therefore like as we deſyre here to be delyuered from ſynne, ſo also we deſyre, that our heauenly father will ſaue vs, and defende vs from this euil the cauſer of ſy…
  2. If you be ſo fond ouer her iniquity, giue her patent to offend, for if it touches not you, it comes neere no body.

Etymology

From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequality, unfairness; inequity, injustice”), from inīquus (“unequal, uneven, unfair; disadvantageous, unfavourable; hostile, unkind; unsuitable; wicked, wrong”) + -itās (variant of -tās (suffix forming a noun indicating a state of being)). Inīquus is derived from in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + aequus (“equal; fair, impartial, just”). Piecewise doublet of inequity.

Synonyms

basenesscorruptiondefilementdegeneracydegradationdepravationdepravednessdepravityiniquitylewditymalignitymisdoingmisguiltobliquitypeccabilityperversionpollutionpravitysinsinfulnessturpitudevitiationwickednesswrongdoing

Antonyms

integritymoralitywell-doing

This word in other languages

iniquidad(Español)iniquité(Français)Frevel(Deutsch)iniquidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iinquity
  • iniqiuty
  • iniqquity
  • iniquitty
  • iniquityy
  • iniquiyt
  • iniqutiy
  • iniuqity
  • inniquity
  • inqiuity
  • niiquity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iinquity2iniqiuty2iniqquity1iniquitty1iniquityy1iniquiyt2iniqutiy2iniuqity2
Edit distance from "iniquity"

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 "iniquity"?
"iniquity" is spelled I-N-I-Q-U-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/.
What does "iniquity" mean?
As a noun, "iniquity" means: Deviation from what is right; gross injustice, sin, wickedness.
What words are commonly confused with "iniquity"?
"iniquity" is commonly confused with "inquiry", "inequity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "iniquity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "iniquity" is /ɪnˈɪkwɪti/. 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 "iniquity"?
From Middle English iniquite, jniquite (“evil, wickedness, iniquity; evil act; hostility, malevolence; hostile act; a calamity, misfortune”), from Old French iniquité (modern French iniquité (“iniquity”)), from Latin inīquitās (“iniquity; inequali... 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 "iniquity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ironclad#40,754homology#40,738Kavanagh#40,763headlong#40,731

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Landers11 variantsLovelace11 variantsMcCaffrey11 variantsfleshed11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list