innuendo
/ˌɪnjuˈɛndəʊ/
"innuendo" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“innuendo” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,868 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #32,868
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A derogatory hint or reference to, or (often sexual) insinuation about, a person or thing.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | innuendo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɪnjuˈɛndəʊ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #32,868 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “innuendo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for innuendo is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪnjuˈɛndəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,868 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for innuendo, with forms such as "inneundo", "innuedno", and "innuenddo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the Latin innuendō (“by nodding”), ablative singular form of innuendum (“a nodding”), gerund of innuō (“I give a nod”). The correct English form is innuendo, spelled I-N-N-U-E-N-D-O.
Definition
- 1A derogatory hint or reference to, or (often sexual) insinuation about, a person or thing.
- 2A remark that is suggestive of something sexual without stating it explicitly.
- 3A rhetorical device with an omitted, but obvious conclusion, made to increase the force of an argument.
- 4Part of a pleading in cases of libel and slander, pointing out what and who was meant by the libellous matter or description.
Etymology
From the Latin innuendō (“by nodding”), ablative singular form of innuendum (“a nodding”), gerund of innuō (“I give a nod”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: inneundo,innuedno,innuenddo,innuenndo,innuenod,innunedo,inuendo,inunendo,ninuendo
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of innuendo - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “innuendo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is I-N-N-U-E-N-D-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɪnjuˈɛndəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.