inclination

\ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\

/\ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“inclination” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #48,599 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#48,599
frequency rank, French
11
letters
16
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Action d’incliner, de pencher, par exemple la tête ou le corps en signe d’acquiescement ou de respect.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

inclination vs incitation
82% similar
inclination vs incarnation
82% similar
inclination vs inclinaison
82% similar

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

Key facts for inclination
PropertyValue
Headwordinclination
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\
Letters11
Frequency rank#48,599
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “inclination” sits in French 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). inclination 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 French entry for inclination is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #48,599 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for inclination, with forms such as "icnlination", "incclination", and "incilnation". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "incitation", "incarnation", "inclinaison", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is inclination, spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Action d’incliner, de pencher, par exemple la tête ou le corps en signe d’acquiescement ou de respect.
  2. 2
    Mouvement de l’âme qui vous porte vers quelque chose.
  3. 3
    Mouvement du cœur qui porte à aimer quelqu’un.
  4. 4
    Personne qu’on aime.

This word in other languages

inclination(English)inclinación(Español)Neigung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: icnlination,incclination,incilnation,incliantion,inclinaiton,inclinatino,inclinationn,inclinatoin,inclinattion,inclinnation,inclintaion,incllination,inclniation,inlcination,innclination,niclination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of inclination - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

icnlination2incclination1incilnation2incliantion2inclinaiton2inclinatino2inclinationn1inclinatoin2
Edit distance from "inclination"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "inclination"?
"inclination" is spelled I-N-C-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\.
What does "inclination" mean?
As a noun, "inclination" means: Action d’incliner, de pencher, par exemple la tête ou le corps en signe d’acquiescement ou de respect.
What words are commonly confused with "inclination"?
"inclination" is commonly confused with "incitation", "incarnation", "inclinaison". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "inclination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "inclination" is \ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "inclination" come from?
"inclination" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “inclination”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is I-N-C-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɛ̃.kli.na.sjɔ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “incitation” - see the side-by-side comparison. inclination vs incitation
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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