ineffable

Name: ineffable, French Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

\i.nɛ.fabl\

/\i.nɛ.fabl\/ adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“ineffable” is an uncommon French word, ranked #54,648 in French word frequency and used as an adjective.

#54,648
frequency rank, French: 9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Qui ne peut pas être exprimé par des paroles.

Key facts for ineffable
Property	Value
Headword	ineffable
Language	French
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	\i.nɛ.fabl\
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#54,648
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ineffable” 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). ineffable lands here:

#54,648

#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 ineffable is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \i.nɛ.fabl\. Corpus data places it at rank #54,648 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for ineffable in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable French rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is ineffable, spelled I-N-E-F-F-A-B-L-E.

Definition

1
Qui ne peut pas être exprimé par des paroles.
2
Inqualifiable, inénarrable (en raison de son caractère ridicule).

Synonyms

indicible tabou

This word in other languages

ineffable(English)inefable(Español)unsäglich(Deutsch)inefável(Português)

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 "ineffable"?

"ineffable" is spelled I-N-E-F-F-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \i.nɛ.fabl\.

What does "ineffable" mean?

As an adjective, "ineffable" means: Qui ne peut pas être exprimé par des paroles.

How do you pronounce "ineffable"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ineffable" is \i.nɛ.fabl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "ineffable" come from?

"ineffable" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.

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 “ineffable”

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

The one correct French spelling is I-N-E-F-F-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as \i.nɛ.fabl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
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.