inspect

/ɪnˈspɛkt/

//ɪnˈspɛkt// verb

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

"inspect" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inspect” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,445. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,445
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inspect · inspect · English

inspect · rank #12,445 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,445
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inactive

Nearest frequency peer: inactive (-2 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 “inspect”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “inspect” 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).

inspect vs inspector
78% similar
inspect vs inset
71% similar
inspect vs insert
71% similar

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

Key facts for inspect
PropertyValue
Headwordinspect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈspɛkt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,445
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “inspect”

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).inspectlands 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 “inactive” (#12,443), “instincts” (#12,448), “IG” (#12,441). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “inspect” is #12,445. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around inspect (IPA /ɪnˈspɛkt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #12,445 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for inspect, with forms such as "innspect", "inpsect", and "insepct". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "inspector", "inset", "insert", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin inspectum, past participle of inspicere (“to look into”), from in (“in”) + specere (“to look at”), equivalent to in- + -spect. The correct English form is inspect, spelled I-N-S-P-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.
  2. 2
    To observe the status or nature of an object beyond what is found obvious upon its initial presentation; to 'view within' the object.
  3. 3
    To view and examine officially.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Inspect the system for leaks.
  2. After speaking with the building owner, hearing that the building's steam pipes were over eighty years old, and noticing areas where the pipes had been patched with duct tape, we decided to thoroughly inspect the system for leaks.

Etymology

From Latin inspectum, past participle of inspicere (“to look into”), from in (“in”) + specere (“to look at”), equivalent to in- + -spect.

Synonyms

examine

This word in other languages

inspeccionar(Español)begutachten(Deutsch)inspecionar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • innspect
  • inpsect
  • insepct
  • inspcet
  • inspecct
  • inspectt
  • inspetc
  • insppect
  • insspect
  • isnpect
  • nispect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inspect - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

innspect1inpsect2insepct2inspcet2inspecct1inspectt1inspetc2insppect1
Edit distance from "inspect"

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 "inspect"?
"inspect" is spelled I-N-S-P-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈspɛkt/.
What does "inspect" mean?
As a verb, "inspect" means: To examine critically or carefully; especially, to search out problems or determine condition; to scrutinize.
What words are commonly confused with "inspect"?
"inspect" is commonly confused with "inspector", "inset", "insert". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inspect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inspect" is /ɪnˈspɛkt/. 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 "inspect"?
From Latin inspectum, past participle of inspicere (“to look into”), from in (“in”) + specere (“to look at”), equivalent to in- + -spect. 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 "inspect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Harriet#12,435leftist#12,456guarded#12,431morally#12,462

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

inactive11 variantsmaximize11 variantsperiodic11 variantsportray11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list