irrational

/ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/

//ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl// adj

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

"irrational" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“irrational” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,741. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,741
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-irrational · irrational · English

irrational · rank #13,741 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #13,741
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH jaws

Nearest frequency peer: jaws (+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 “irrational”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “irrational” 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).

irrational vs irrationally
83% similar

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

Key facts for irrational
PropertyValue
Headwordirrational
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,741
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “irrational”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).irrationallands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “jaws” (#13,742), “interrogation” (#13,738), “Lamar” (#13,744). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “irrational” is #13,741. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around irrational (IPA /ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #13,741 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for irrational, with forms such as "irartional", "irational", and "irraitonal". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "irrationally", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin irratiōnālis, from ir- + ratiōnālis. The correct English form is irrational, spelled I-R-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
  2. 2
    Of a real number, that cannot be written as the ratio of two integers.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. an irrational decision
  2. July 18, 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Dark Knight Riseshttp://www.avclub.com/articles/the-dark-knight-rises-review-batman,82624/ Where the Joker preys on our fears of random, irrational acts of terror, Bane has an all-consuming, dictatorial agenda that’s more stable and permanent, a New World Order that’s been planned out with the precision of a milita…

Etymology

From Latin irratiōnālis, from ir- + ratiōnālis.

This word in other languages

irracional(Español)irrationnel(Français)irrational(Deutsch)irracional(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • irartional
  • irational
  • irraitonal
  • irratinoal
  • irratioanl
  • irrationall
  • irrationla
  • irrationnal
  • irratoinal
  • irrattional
  • irrtaional
  • rirational

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

irartional2irational1irraitonal2irratinoal2irratioanl2irrationall1irrationla2irrationnal1
Edit distance from "irrational"

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 "irrational"?
"irrational" is spelled I-R-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/.
What does "irrational" mean?
As an adjective, "irrational" means: Not rational; unfounded, nonsensical or wrong-headed.
What words are commonly confused with "irrational"?
"irrational" is commonly confused with "irrationally". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "irrational"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "irrational" is /ɪˈɹæʃ.(ə.)nəl/. 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 "irrational"?
From Latin irratiōnālis, from ir- + ratiōnālis. 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 "irrational", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

insecurity#13,737managerial#13,755fraternity#13,723moderately#13,762

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

MacMillan12 variantsmandated12 variantspainters12 variantsculinary12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list