intelligentsia

[ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja]

/[ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja]/ noun

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

The verdict

“intelligentsia” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #96,427 among 22,782 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#96,427
frequency rank, Spanish
22,782
“I” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Élite intelectual.

Key facts for intelligentsia
PropertyValue
Headwordintelligentsia
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja]
Letters14
Frequency rank#96,427
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “intelligentsia” sits in Spanish 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). intelligentsia lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

intelligentsia is uncommon Spanish at frequency #96,427 among 22,782 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Élite intelectual.".

Zero misspellings are on record for intelligentsia in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct Spanish form is intelligentsia, spelled I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T-S-I-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Élite intelectual.

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "intelligentsia"?
"intelligentsia" is spelled I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T-S-I-A. The IPA pronunciation is [ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja].
What does "intelligentsia" mean?
As a noun, "intelligentsia" means: Élite intelectual.
How do you pronounce "intelligentsia"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "intelligentsia" is [ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "intelligentsia" come from?
"intelligentsia" is a Spanish 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 “intelligentsia”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T-S-I-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ĩn̪t̪eʝiˈxẽnsja] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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