inner
/ˈɪnə/adjective, noun
inner is spelled I-N-N-E-R: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, inner means “Being or occurring (farther) inside, situated farther in, located (situated) or happening on the inside of something, situated within or farther…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in inner?
| Letters | 5: I-N-N-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 32 times per million words; the 2,992nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is inner?
Inner appears 32 times per million words in written English, the 2,992nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce inner?
- /ˈɪnə/
- /ˈɪnɚ/
- [ɪ̃ɾ̃ɚ]
Inner has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-inner.ogg, En-us-inner.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with inner?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as inner.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: niner, renin.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of inner
- innermore comparative, rare
- innermost superlative
- inmost superlative
- inners plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inner mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Being or occurring (farther) inside, situated farther in, located (situated) or happening on the inside of something, situated within or farther within contained within something.
inner door; inner room; inner sanctum; inner surface
- 2
Close to the centre, located near or closer to center.
the inner suburbs
- 3
Inside or closer to the inside of the body.
inner ear
- 4
Of mind or spirit, relating to the mind or spirit, to spiritual or mental processes, mental, spiritual, relating to somebody's private feelings or happening in somebody's mind, existing as an often repressed part of one's psychological makeup.
inner confidence; inner strength; inner life; inner child; inner artist; inner peace; inner light
- 5
Not obvious, private, not expressed, not apparent, hidden, less apparent, deeper, obscure; innermost or essential; needing to be examined closely or thought about in order to be seen or understood.
inner meaning; inner resources; inner logic
- 6
Privileged, more or most privileged, more or most influential, intimate, exclusive, more important, more intimate, private, secret, confined to an exclusive group, exclusive to a center; especially a center of influence being near a center especially of influence.
inner circle; inner council
noun
- 1
An inner part.
- 2
A duvet, excluding the cover.
- 3
A forward who plays in or near the center of the field.
- 4
A thin glove worn inside batting gloves or wicket-keeping gloves.
- 5
UKOne who supports remaining in the European Union.
- 6
The 2nd circle on a target, between the bull (or bull's eye) and magpie.
noun
- 1
An inhabitant of the inner planets of the Solar System
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inner in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | intérieur , interne |
| German | inner |
| Portuguese | interno, interior |
| Spanish | interior , interno |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does inner come from?
From Middle English inner, ynner, ynnere, from Old English innera, comparative of inne (“within”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁en.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).