proclivity

/pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/

//pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti// noun

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

The verdict

“proclivity” is an uncommon English word, ranked #60,397 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#60,397
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

Key facts for proclivity
PropertyValue
Headwordproclivity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/
Letters10
Frequency rank#60,397
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “proclivity” 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). proclivity 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 proclivity is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #60,397 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for proclivity, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”). The correct English form is proclivity, spelled P-R-O-C-L-I-V-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.

Etymology

From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”).

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 "proclivity"?
"proclivity" is spelled P-R-O-C-L-I-V-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/.
What does "proclivity" mean?
As a noun, "proclivity" means: A predisposition or natural inclination, propensity, or a predilection; especially, a strong disposition or bent.
How do you pronounce "proclivity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "proclivity" is /pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/. 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 "proclivity"?
From Latin prōclīvitās, from prōclīvis (“prone to”). 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.

Using “proclivity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-C-L-I-V-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɹəʊˈklɪvɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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