irresponsibly

/ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli/

//ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli// adv

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

The verdict

“irresponsibly” is uncommon English (frequency #52,413 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,413
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In an irresponsible manner; so as to be irresponsible.

Corpus desk

Index EN-irresponsibly · irresponsibly · English

irresponsibly · rank #52,413 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,413
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH irreversibly

Nearest frequency peer: irreversibly (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “irresponsibly”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “irresponsibly” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for irresponsibly
PropertyValue
Headwordirresponsibly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli/
Letters13
Frequency rank#52,413
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “irresponsibly” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “irreversibly” (#52,414), “Islay” (#52,415), “intersectional” (#52,410). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “irresponsibly” is #52,413. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

irresponsibly is uncommon English at frequency #52,413 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In an irresponsible manner; so as to be irresponsible.".

irresponsibly has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From irresponsible + -ly or ir- + responsibly. The correct English form is irresponsibly, spelled I-R-R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In an irresponsible manner; so as to be irresponsible.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He had frequent fits of melancholy in which he declared that he was neither fish nor flesh nor good red herring. His was neither an irresponsibly contemplative nature nor a sturdily practical one, and he was for ever looking in vain for the uses of the things that please and the charm of the things that sustain.

Etymology

From irresponsible + -ly or ir- + responsibly.

Antonyms

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); 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 "irresponsibly"?
"irresponsibly" is spelled I-R-R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli/.
What does "irresponsibly" mean?
As an adverb, "irresponsibly" means: In an irresponsible manner; so as to be irresponsible.
How do you pronounce "irresponsibly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "irresponsibly" is /ˌɪ.ɹɪˈspɒn.sə.bli/. 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 "irresponsibly"?
From irresponsible + -ly or ir- + responsibly. 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 "irresponsibly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list