inset
/ˈɪnsɛt/verb, noun, adjective
inset is spelled I-N-S-E-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, inset means “To set in; infix or implant” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in inset?
| Letters | 5: I-N-S-E-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,912th 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 inset?
Inset appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,912th 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 inset?
- /ˈɪnsɛt/
Inset 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-inset.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-inset.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with inset?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as inset.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: stein, senti, neist.
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 inset
- insets present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- insetting participle, present
- insetted participle, past
- further inset comparative
- farther inset comparative
- furthest inset superlative
- farthest inset superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does inset mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To set in; infix or implant.
- 2
To insert something.
- 3
To add an inset to something.
noun
- 1
A smaller thing set into a larger thing, such as a small picture inside a larger one.
a map of the whole state with city maps as insets
- 2
Anything inserted.
- 3
A small piece of material used to strengthen a garment.
- 4
A modular microphone that can be removed from a telephone handset without disassembly.
- 5
An opening partway down a shaft, giving access to the intermediate levels.
adjective
- 1
Having been inset.
the inset diamonds
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Inset in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 inset come from?
From Middle English insetten, from Old English insettan (“to set in, institute, appoint”), equivalent to in- + set. Cognate with Dutch inzetten (“to insert, set in”), Low German insetten (“to set in”), German einsetzen (“to insert, employ”), Danish indsætte (“to insert”), Swedish insätta (“to inset, induct, institute”), Icelandic innsetja (“to install”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).