inlay

/ɪnˈleɪ/

//ɪnˈleɪ// verb

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

"inlay" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inlay” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,712. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,712
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inlay · inlay · English

inlay · rank #42,712 · 7 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,712
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH intramural

Nearest frequency peer: intramural (+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 “inlay”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “inlay” 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).

inlay vs Isla
40% similar
inlay vs inna
60% similar
inlay vs Islam
40% similar

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

Key facts for inlay
PropertyValue
Headwordinlay
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈleɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#42,712
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “inlay”

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).inlaylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “intramural” (#42,713), “Ingham” (#42,710), “invulnerable” (#42,714). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inlay” is #42,712. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around inlay (IPA /ɪnˈleɪ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,712 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for inlay, with forms such as "ilnay", "inaly", and "inlayy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Isla", "inna", "Islam", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + lay. The correct English form is inlay, spelled I-N-L-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.
  2. 2
    To place an inlay in a tooth.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The body of the Scriptures hath in it limbs taken from other bodies; and in the vvord of God, are the vvords of other men, other authors, inlaid & inſerted. But, this vvork is onely vvhere the Holy Ghoſt is the VVorkman: It is not for man to inſert, to inlay other vvords into the vvord of God.
  2. Porcelain inlaying is a grand thing in certain cases, and it is much to be regretted that the present existing circumstances do not warrant its being used more extensively.

Etymology

From in- + lay.

This word in other languages

incruster(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilnay
  • inaly
  • inlayy
  • inllay
  • inlya
  • innlay
  • nilay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilnay2inaly2inlayy1inllay1inlya2innlay1nilay2
Edit distance from "inlay"

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 "inlay"?
"inlay" is spelled I-N-L-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈleɪ/.
What does "inlay" mean?
As a verb, "inlay" means: To place (pieces of a foreign material) within another material to form a decorative design.
What words are commonly confused with "inlay"?
"inlay" is commonly confused with "Isla", "inna", "Islam". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inlay"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inlay" is /ɪnˈleɪ/. 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 "inlay"?
From in- + lay. 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 "inlay", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

kirin#42,731grope#42,680grist#42,679Liszt#42,750

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Khanna7 variantsgoatee7 variantsLuxor7 variantsmandi7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list