How Do You Spell Intelligent — a Quick Spelling Guide

The term intelligent, erroneously spelled as entelligent by some, describes someone of high cognitive capacity. Misspelling this English word in writing will make your piece look unprofessional and shady. How do you spell intelligent? If you’re still unsure how to spell the word or want to learn a handy tip to spell it correctly, continue reading.

Intelligent: Etymology and Meaning of the Word

The word intelligent originates from Middle French word intelligent. Also, from Latin word intellegēns (which means “discerning”), the present participle of intellegō (“understand, comprehend”).

Intelligent is an adjective that describes someone of high or rapid cognitive capacity. The term refers to someone well-thought-out and well-considered. When someone is said to be intelligent, the person can think, understand and learn things quickly and satisfactorily. Synonyms of the word are clever, bright, smart, and knowing.

How Do You Spell Intelligent?

The accurate spelling of the word is I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T, not entelligent or inteligent. Entelligent is an obsolete spelling of the word. It is inappropriate and unacceptable in writing. Here’s a simple tip for spelling the word correctly. Intelligent begins with the word ‘in,‘ followed by ‘tell,’ a letter ‘i’, and finally ends with the word ‘gent.’

Intelligent is an eleven-lettered, four-syllable word with four vowels and seven consonants. The phonemic pronunciation of the word is /ɪnˈtɛlɪd͡ʒənt/. The stressed syllable in the word is the second as in “in-TEl-li-gent.”

What Part of Speech Is the Word ‘Intelligent?’

‘Intelligent’ is an adjective. It modifies a noun in a sentence. The term ‘intelligent’ describes someone with a high or satisfactory degree of mental capacity. When someone reveals or reflects good judgment or sound thought, the person is described as being ‘intelligent.’

Examples

• The engineer developed an ultra-intelligent app for the cell phone.
• I enjoy having intelligent and lively conversations.
• James is an intelligent young man; I’m in awe of his wealth of knowledge.
• I would describe Mary as an intelligent student.
• The general devised an intelligent strategy for the campaign.
• The archeologist is incredibly intelligent and a delight to have around.
• Carla is an innovative and intelligent young woman.
• Intelligent computers can become an indispensable diagnostic tool for doctors.
• The engineer had an intelligent design proposal for the new car.
• The statisticians were able to identify the most intelligent person in the office.

To Wrap Up

How do you spell intelligent?The correct spelling of this English word is I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T. Entelligent is an obsolete spelling of the word, now considered a misspelling that is unacceptable in writing.

Here’s an easy tip to remember the spelling of the word. It begins with the word ‘in,’ followed by ‘tell,’ a letter ‘i’, and ends with the word ‘gent.’