neglected

/nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/

//nɪˈɡlɛktɪd// verb

"neglected" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“neglected” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,919 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,919
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of neglect

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

neglected vs neglect
78% similar

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

Key facts for neglected
PropertyValue
Headwordneglected
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,919
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “neglected” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for neglected is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,919 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "simple past and past participle of neglect".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for neglected, with forms such as "englected", "negelcted", and "negglected". 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, "neglect", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is neglected, spelled N-E-G-L-E-C-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of neglect

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: englected,negelcted,negglected,neglceted,negleccted,neglecetd,neglectde,neglectedd,neglectted,negletced,negllected,nelgected,ngelected,nneglected

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of neglected - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

englected2negelcted2negglected1neglceted2negleccted1neglecetd2neglectde2neglectedd1
Edit distance from "neglected"

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 "neglected"?
"neglected" is spelled N-E-G-L-E-C-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/.
What does "neglected" mean?
As a verb, "neglected" means: simple past and past participle of neglect
What words are commonly confused with "neglected"?
"neglected" is commonly confused with "neglect". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "neglected"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "neglected" is /nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "neglected" come from?
"neglected" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Using “neglected”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is N-E-G-L-E-C-T-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nɪˈɡlɛktɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “neglect” - see the side-by-side comparison. neglected vs neglect
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list