insectivorous

/ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/

//ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs// adj

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

"insectivorous" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“insectivorous” is uncommon English (frequency #98,265 among 17,902 “I” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,265
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Feeding on insects.

Key facts for insectivorous
PropertyValue
Headwordinsectivorous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/
Letters13
Frequency rank#98,265
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “insectivorous” 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). insectivorous 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

insectivorous is uncommon English at frequency #98,265 among 17,902 “I” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

insectivorous has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin insectum (“insect”) and -vorus, from vorō (“to eat”), equivalent to insectivore + -ous or insect + -i- + -vorous. The correct English form is insectivorous, spelled I-N-S-E-C-T-I-V-O-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Feeding on insects.
  2. 2
    Capable of trapping and absorbing insects; such as the sundew, pitcher plant and Venus flytrap.

Etymology

From Latin insectum (“insect”) and -vorus, from vorō (“to eat”), equivalent to insectivore + -ous or insect + -i- + -vorous.

Synonyms

entomophagousinsectivorian

This word in other languages

insectívoro(Español)insectivore(Français)insektenfressend(Deutsch)insetívoro(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 "insectivorous"?
"insectivorous" is spelled I-N-S-E-C-T-I-V-O-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/.
What does "insectivorous" mean?
As an adjective, "insectivorous" means: Feeding on insects.
How do you pronounce "insectivorous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "insectivorous" is /ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/. 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 "insectivorous"?
From Latin insectum (“insect”) and -vorus, from vorō (“to eat”), equivalent to insectivore + -ous or insect + -i- + -vorous. 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 “insectivorous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-S-E-C-T-I-V-O-R-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪv(ə)ɹəs/ (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