inoperative

/ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/

//ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv// adj

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

"inoperative" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inoperative” is uncommon English (frequency #60,881 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,881
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not working or functioning; either idle or broken.

Key facts for inoperative
PropertyValue
Headwordinoperative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#60,881
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inoperative” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inoperative is uncommon English at frequency #60,881 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for inoperative, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + operative. The correct English form is inoperative, spelled I-N-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not working or functioning; either idle or broken.
  2. 2
    No longer legally binding.

Etymology

From in- + operative.

This word in other languages

inopérant(Français)defekt(Deutsch)inoperante(Português)

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 "inoperative"?
"inoperative" is spelled I-N-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/.
What does "inoperative" mean?
As an adjective, "inoperative" means: Not working or functioning; either idle or broken.
How do you pronounce "inoperative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inoperative" is /ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/. 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 "inoperative"?
From in- + operative. 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.

Using “inoperative”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-O-P-E-R-A-T-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈɒp(ə)ɹətɪv/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list