insist

/ɪnˈsɪst/

//ɪnˈsɪst// verb

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

"insist" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“insist” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,798. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,798
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To hold up a claim emphatically.

Corpus desk

Index EN-insist · insist · English

insist · rank #6,798 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,798
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH jo

Nearest frequency peer: jo (+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 “insist”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “insist” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

insist vs Isis
50% similar
insist vs Inuit
50% similar
insist vs invest
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for insist
PropertyValue
Headwordinsist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈsɪst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,798
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “insist”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “jo” (#6,799), “identifying” (#6,796), “junk” (#6,800). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “insist” is #6,798. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around insist (IPA /ɪnˈsɪst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,798 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for insist, with forms such as "inisst", "innsist", and "insisst". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "Isis", "Inuit", "invest", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Partly from Middle French insister, from Latin īnsistere; and partly from a back-formation from insistence. Compare typologically from the same PIE root Bulgarian настоявам (nastojavam), Russian наста́ивать (nastáivatʹ). The correct English form is insist, spelled I-N-S-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To hold up a claim emphatically.
  2. 2
    To demand continually that something happen or be done; to reiterate a demand despite requests to abandon it.
  3. 3
    To stand (on); to rest (upon); to lean (upon).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The defendant insisted on his innocence.
  2. I insist that my secretary dresses nicely.

Etymology

Partly from Middle French insister, from Latin īnsistere; and partly from a back-formation from insistence. Compare typologically from the same PIE root Bulgarian настоявам (nastojavam), Russian наста́ивать (nastáivatʹ).

This word in other languages

insistir(Español)insister(Français)beharren(Deutsch)insistir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inisst
  • innsist
  • insisst
  • insistt
  • insits
  • inssist
  • inssit
  • isnist
  • nisist

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of insist - 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.

inisst2innsist1insisst1insistt1insits2inssist1inssit2isnist2
Edit distance from "insist"

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 "insist"?
"insist" is spelled I-N-S-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɪst/.
What does "insist" mean?
As a verb, "insist" means: To hold up a claim emphatically.
What words are commonly confused with "insist"?
"insist" is commonly confused with "Isis", "Inuit", "invest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "insist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "insist" is /ɪnˈsɪst/. 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 "insist"?
Partly from Middle French insister, from Latin īnsistere; and partly from a back-formation from insistence. Compare typologically from the same PIE root Bulgarian настоявам (nastojavam), Russian наста́ивать (nastáivatʹ). 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 "insist", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hudson#6,794kidney#6,802ladder#6,804Harold#6,791

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

flames9 variantsmodest9 variantsessence9 variantsmotors9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list