isn't
/ˈɪz.ənt/
"isn-t" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“isn't” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #376. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #376
- frequency rank, English
- 17,902
- “I” headwords
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Contraction of is + not (negative auxiliary).
Corpus desk
Index EN-isn-t · isn't · English
isn't · rank #376 · 7 variants · 4 confusables
- FREQ-CORE #376
- LEN-MID 5 letters
- VOW-1 1 vowel
- CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
- VAR-MID 7 variants
- BOOK-DENSE 17,902
- PHOTO-FINISH hand
Nearest frequency peer: hand (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “isn't”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- guys
guys
99,628 corpus weight
- half
half
99,627 corpus weight
- hand
hand
99,626 corpus weight
- isn't
isn't
99,625 corpus weight
- level
level
99,624 corpus weight
- mind
mind
99,623 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “isn't” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | isn't |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɪz.ənt/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #376 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “isn't” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 7 spelling variants around isn't (IPA /ˈɪz.ənt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #376 among 17,902 “I” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Contraction of is + not (negative auxiliary).".
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for isn't, with forms such as "ins't", "is'nt", and "isn'tt". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "int", "init", "islet", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From is + -n't. The correct English form is isn't, spelled I-S-N-'-T.
Definition
- 1Contraction of is + not (negative auxiliary).
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how isn't appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Nice day, isn't it?
I suppose she's hungry, isn't she?
Etymology
From is + -n't.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ins't
- is'nt
- isn'tt
- isnn't
- isnt'
- issn't
- sin't
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of isn't - 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.
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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "isn't"?
What does "isn't" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "isn't"?
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "isn't", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.