inveigle

/ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/

//ɪnˈveɪɡl̩// verb

"inveigle" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“inveigle” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-inveigle · inveigle · English

inveigle · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for inveigle
PropertyValue
Headwordinveigle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “inveigle” in English

inveiglesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

inveigle is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for inveigle in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Anglo-Norman enveugler, alteration of aveugler (“to blind, to delude”), from Old French avogle (“without eyes”), from Late Latin ab oculīs (“without eyes”, literally “away from the eyes”). The in- might be by analogy to variation bettwen a- an… The correct English form is inveigle, spelled I-N-V-E-I-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles.
  2. 2
    To obtain through guile or cunning.
  3. 3
    To fool, to delude, to blind in judgement.
  4. 4
    To ensnare, to entangle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And he that could with giftes and promiſes, / Inueigle him that lead a thouſand horſe, / And make him falſe his faith vnto his King, / Will quickly win ſuch as be like himſelfe.
  2. And therefore hereto he inveigleth, not only the Sadduces and ſuch as retaine unto the Church of God, but is alſo content that Epicurus Democritus or any of the heathen ſhould hold the ſame.

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman enveugler, alteration of aveugler (“to blind, to delude”), from Old French avogle (“without eyes”), from Late Latin ab oculīs (“without eyes”, literally “away from the eyes”). The in- might be by analogy to variation bettwen a- and en- in other French words, which was then latinised into in-. For the pronunciation with /iː/, compare the development of people; that with /eɪ/ is presumably a spelling pronunciation.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inveigle"?
"inveigle" is spelled I-N-V-E-I-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/.
What does "inveigle" mean?
As a verb, "inveigle" means: To convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles.
How do you pronounce "inveigle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inveigle" is /ɪnˈveɪɡl̩/. 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 "inveigle"?
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman enveugler, alteration of aveugler (“to blind, to delude”), from Old French avogle (“without eyes”), from Late Latin ab oculīs (“without eyes”, literally “away from the eyes”). The in- might be by analogy to variation bet... 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list