intractable

/ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/

//ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“intractable” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,689. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,689
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-intractable · intractable · English

intractable · rank #33,689 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,689
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH inroads

Nearest frequency peer: inroads (-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 “intractable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “intractable” 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
Key facts for intractable
PropertyValue
Headwordintractable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#33,689
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “intractable”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).intractablelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “inroads” (#33,688), “IRB” (#33,690), “innocently” (#33,687). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “intractable” is #33,689. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around intractable (IPA /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #33,689 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for intractable, with forms such as "inntractable", "inrtactable", and "intarctable". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From in- + tractable. The correct English form is intractable, spelled I-N-T-R-A-C-T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.
  2. 2
    Not able to be solved in polynomial time; too difficult to attempt to solve.
  3. 3
    Difficult to deal with, solve, or manage. (of a problem)
  4. 4
    Stubborn; obstinate. (of a person)
  5. 5
    Difficult to treat (of a medical condition).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And I cannot but expect that this will repeatedly lead to the discovery that an initially intractable problem can be factored after all.
  2. Work—bureaucratic work in particular—poses a series of intractable dilemmas that often demand compromises with traditional moral beliefs.

Etymology

From in- + tractable.

This word in other languages

inmanejable(Español)ingouvernable(Français)verfahren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inntractable
  • inrtactable
  • intarctable
  • intracatble
  • intracctable
  • intractabble
  • intractabel
  • intractablle
  • intractalbe
  • intractbale
  • intractible
  • intracttable
  • intratcable
  • intrcatable
  • intrractable
  • inttractable
  • itnractable
  • nitractable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inntractable1inrtactable2intarctable2intracatble2intracctable1intractabble1intractabel2intractablle1
Edit distance from "intractable"

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 "intractable"?
"intractable" is spelled I-N-T-R-A-C-T-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/.
What does "intractable" mean?
As an adjective, "intractable" means: Not tractable; not able to be managed, controlled, governed or directed.
What are common misspellings of "intractable"?
Common misspellings include "inntractable", "inrtactable", "intarctable", "intracatble", "intracctable". The correct spelling is "intractable".
How do you pronounce "intractable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intractable" is /ɪnˈtɹæk.tə.bəl/. 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 "intractable"?
From in- + tractable. 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 "intractable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

implausible#33,681iconography#33,678Kirkpatrick#33,703empirically#33,635

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

disintegrate18 variantschristening18 variantsundetermined18 variantsinflationary18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list