introspection

/ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/

//ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən// noun

"introspection" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“introspection” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,697. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,697
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
21
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A looking inward; specifically, the act or process of self-examination, or inspection of one's own thoughts and feelings; the cognition which the mind has of its own acts and states.

Corpus desk

Index EN-introspection · introspection · English

introspection · rank #29,697 · 21 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #29,697
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH interlocking

Nearest frequency peer: interlocking (-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 “introspection”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “introspection” 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).

introspection vs introspective
85% similar

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

Key facts for introspection
PropertyValue
Headwordintrospection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/
Letters13
Frequency rank#29,697
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “introspection”

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).introspectionlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “interlocking” (#29,696), “invader” (#29,698), “Jaffa” (#29,699). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “introspection” is #29,697. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around introspection (IPA /ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,697 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for introspection, with forms such as "inntrospection", "inrtospection", and "intorspection". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "introspective", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin intrōspectiō, noun of action (with -iō) from past-participle (intrōspectus) stem of intrōspiciō (“to look into, look at, examine, observe attentively”), from intro- (“inward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look at”). By surface analysis, introspect + -ion. The correct English form is introspection, spelled I-N-T-R-O-S-P-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A looking inward; specifically, the act or process of self-examination, or inspection of one's own thoughts and feelings; the cognition which the mind has of its own acts and states.
  2. 2
    Clipping of type introspection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. If Adam Wheeler gave it some thought, or if someone were to prompt him with the right questions, he could put words around the fact that his existence doesn't bring him any satisfaction. He would discover, on introspection, that he's nowhere close, actually, to "happy", and that there is something vast and significant missing from his life. But he doesn't…

Etymology

From Latin intrōspectiō, noun of action (with -iō) from past-participle (intrōspectus) stem of intrōspiciō (“to look into, look at, examine, observe attentively”), from intro- (“inward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look at”). By surface analysis, introspect + -ion.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • inntrospection
  • inrtospection
  • intorspection
  • intropsection
  • introsepction
  • introspcetion
  • introspecction
  • introspeciton
  • introspecsion
  • introspectino
  • introspectionn
  • introspectoin
  • introspecttion
  • introspetcion
  • introsppection
  • introsspection
  • intrrospection
  • intrsopection
  • inttrospection
  • itnrospection
  • nitrospection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

inntrospection1inrtospection2intorspection2intropsection2introsepction2introspcetion2introspecction1introspeciton2
Edit distance from "introspection"

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 "introspection"?
"introspection" is spelled I-N-T-R-O-S-P-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/.
What does "introspection" mean?
As a noun, "introspection" means: A looking inward; specifically, the act or process of self-examination, or inspection of one's own thoughts and feelings; the cognition which the mind has of its own acts and states.
What words are commonly confused with "introspection"?
"introspection" is commonly confused with "introspective". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "introspection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "introspection" is /ɪntɹəˈspɛkʃən/. 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 "introspection"?
From Latin intrōspectiō, noun of action (with -iō) from past-participle (intrōspectus) stem of intrōspiciō (“to look into, look at, examine, observe attentively”), from intro- (“inward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look at”). By surface analysis, intros... 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 "introspection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list