inspiration

/ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

//ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“inspiration” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,564 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,564
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of breathing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inspiration vs instigation
82% similar
inspiration vs inspirational
85% similar

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

Key facts for inspiration
PropertyValue
Headwordinspiration
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#3,564
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inspiration” 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). inspiration lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for inspiration is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,564 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for inspiration, with forms such as "innspiration", "inpsiration", and "insipration". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "instigation", "inspirational", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English inspiracioun, from Old French inspiration, from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō). By surface analysis, inspire + -ation. Displaced native Old English onbryrdnes (litera… The correct English form is inspiration, spelled I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of breathing.
  2. 2
    A single inward breath (intake of air).
  3. 3
    A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies people to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.
  4. 4
    The act or process of an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.
  5. 5
    A person, object, or situation which quickens or stimulates an influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.
  6. 6
    A new idea, especially one which arises suddenly and is clever or creative.

Etymology

From Middle English inspiracioun, from Old French inspiration, from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō). By surface analysis, inspire + -ation. Displaced native Old English onbryrdnes (literally “in-pricked-ness”).

This word in other languages

inspiración(Español)inspiration(Français)Einatmung(Deutsch)inspiração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: innspiration,inpsiration,insipration,inspiartion,inspiraiton,inspirasion,inspiratino,inspirationn,inspiratoin,inspirattion,inspirration,inspirtaion,insppiration,inspriation,insspiration,isnpiration,nispiration

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

innspiration1inpsiration2insipration2inspiartion2inspiraiton2inspirasion1inspiratino2inspirationn1
Edit distance from "inspiration"

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 "inspiration"?
"inspiration" is spelled I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/.
What does "inspiration" mean?
As a noun, "inspiration" means: The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of breathing.
What words are commonly confused with "inspiration"?
"inspiration" is commonly confused with "instigation", "inspirational". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inspiration"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inspiration" is /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/. 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 "inspiration"?
From Middle English inspiracioun, from Old French inspiration, from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō). By surface analysis, inspire + -ation. Displaced native Old English onbryrdn... 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 “inspiration”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “instigation” - see the side-by-side comparison. inspiration vs instigation
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list