intelligent

/ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/

//ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“intelligent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,386 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,386
frequency rank, English
11
letters
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

intelligent vs intelligently
85% similar
intelligent vs intelligence
83% similar

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

Key facts for intelligent
PropertyValue
Headwordintelligent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#4,386
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “intelligent” 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). intelligent 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 intelligent is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,386 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for intelligent, with forms such as "inetlligent", "inntelligent", and "inteligent". 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, "intelligently", "intelligence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”). The correct English form is intelligent, spelled I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
  2. 2
    Well thought-out, well considered.
  3. 3
    Characterized by thoughtful interaction.
  4. 4
    Having at least a similar level of brain power to humankind.
  5. 5
    Having an environment-sensing automatically-invoked built-in computer capability.

Etymology

From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”).

Synonyms

self-awareastutebrainybrightbrilliantclevereducatedgeniusgiftedingeniousintellectualintelligentkeenknowledgeablepiquantquickquick on the uptakequick-wittedrationalsagacioussavvyscholaredsharpsmarttalentedwhip-smartwise

Antonyms

stupiddumbunintelligent

This word in other languages

inteligente(Español)intelligent(Français)klug(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: inetlligent,inntelligent,inteligent,intelilgent,intellgient,intelliegnt,intelligennt,intelligentt,intelligetn,intelliggent,intellignet,intleligent,inttelligent,itnelligent,nitelligent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of intelligent - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

inetlligent2inntelligent1inteligent1intelilgent2intellgient2intelliegnt2intelligennt1intelligentt1
Edit distance from "intelligent"

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 "intelligent"?
"intelligent" is spelled I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/.
What does "intelligent" mean?
As an adjective, "intelligent" means: Of high or especially quick cognitive capacity, bright.
What words are commonly confused with "intelligent"?
"intelligent" is commonly confused with "intelligently", "intelligence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "intelligent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intelligent" is /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/. 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 "intelligent"?
From Middle French intelligent, from Latin intellegēns (“discerning”), present active participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”), itself from inter (“between”) + legō (“choose, pick out, read”). 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 “intelligent”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “intelligently” - see the side-by-side comparison. intelligent vs intelligently
  • 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