insensitive

/ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/

//ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“insensitive” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,052. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,052
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Expressing or feeling little or no concern, care, compassion, or consideration for the feelings, emotions, sentiments, or concerns of other people; inconsiderate or incompassionate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-insensitive · insensitive · English

insensitive · rank #16,052 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,052
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inlet

Nearest frequency peer: inlet (-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 “insensitive”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “insensitive” 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
Key facts for insensitive
PropertyValue
Headwordinsensitive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
Letters11
Frequency rank#16,052
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “insensitive”

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).insensitivelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “inlet” (#16,051), “interpreting” (#16,053), “Indo” (#16,050). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “insensitive” is #16,052. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around insensitive (IPA /ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #16,052 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for insensitive, with forms such as "inesnsitive", "innsensitive", and "insenistive". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + sensitive. The correct English form is insensitive, spelled I-N-S-E-N-S-I-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Expressing or feeling little or no concern, care, compassion, or consideration for the feelings, emotions, sentiments, or concerns of other people; inconsiderate or incompassionate.
  2. 2
    Not expressing normal physical feeling.
  3. 3
    Not expressing normal emotional feelings; cold; tactless; undiplomatic.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It is something like the way dame Nature gathers round a foreign body an envelope of some insensitive tissue which can protect from evil that which it would otherwise harm by contact.
  2. 1895, Grant Allen, The British Barbarians Somehow, when Bertram Ingledew let it once be felt he did not wish to be questioned on any particular point, even women managed to restrain their curiosity: and he would have been either a very bold or a very insensitive man who would have ventured to continue questioning him any further.

Etymology

From in- + sensitive.

This word in other languages

insensible(Español)insensible(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inesnsitive
  • innsensitive
  • insenistive
  • insennsitive
  • insensiitve
  • insensitiev
  • insensitivve
  • insensittive
  • insensitvie
  • insenssitive
  • insenstiive
  • insesnitive
  • insnesitive
  • inssensitive
  • isnensitive
  • nisensitive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of insensitive - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

inesnsitive2innsensitive1insenistive2insennsitive1insensiitve2insensitiev2insensitivve1insensittive1
Edit distance from "insensitive"

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 "insensitive"?
"insensitive" is spelled I-N-S-E-N-S-I-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/.
What does "insensitive" mean?
As an adjective, "insensitive" means: Expressing or feeling little or no concern, care, compassion, or consideration for the feelings, emotions, sentiments, or concerns of other people; inconsiderate or incompassionate.
What are common misspellings of "insensitive"?
Common misspellings include "inesnsitive", "innsensitive", "insenistive", "insennsitive", "insensiitve". The correct spelling is "insensitive".
How do you pronounce "insensitive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "insensitive" is /ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv/. 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 "insensitive"?
From in- + sensitive. 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 "insensitive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

imaginative#16,047entertainer#16,016qualitative#16,101reluctantly#16,111

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

mistakenly16 variantsCumberland16 variantssecretariat16 variantsspecialised16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list