This seemed so appropriate for a Fourth of July post. And even more cause for celebration is that *insert fireworks here* the two words are interchangeable.
The confusion arises with that bloody prefix. We tend to interpret in- as not, opposite of, or without. So it made sense to believe inflammable is the opposite of flammable.
Instead, inflammable uses a different in- prefix meaning into; it intensifies the meaning of the base word.
Oh, yeah, I knew that . . . *eye roll* . . .
Musing on Which to Choose
Use flammable in technical situations; there is less risk of confusion amongst your readers. Using inflammable is likely to create the opposite impression of what you intended. Even manufacturers don’t use the term inflammable as the people who use flammable products think inflammable means the opposite.
Inflammable is more commonly used in emotional or metaphorical contexts.
Whichever one you choose, be consistent in using that version!! You may also want to explore the difference in “Inflammable versus Inflammatory“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Flammable | Inflammable |
|---|---|
 |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective Noun Plural for the noun: inflammables |
| Easily set on fire
Liable to catch fire
|
Adjective: Easily set on fire Easily aroused or excited, as to passion or anger
Noun: |
| Examples: | |
| As the first little pig found out, a wooden house uses highly flammable materials.
Manufacturers use the adjective flammable on products carrying or made of combustible materials. A few decades ago, a law was passed requiring children’s pajamas be made from non-flammable fabrics. |
Adjective: The speaker ignited the inflammable emotions of the crowd. The building had filled with inflammable and poisonous gases. Jenny had to be so careful in what she said, as Jake had an inflammable temper. Noun: The truck is packed with inflammables. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Noun: flame, flammability Verb: flame |
Adjective: noninflammable, uninflammable Adverb: inflammably, noninflammably Noun: inflamer, inflammability, inflammableness, inflammation, noninflammability, noninflammableness Verb: |
| History of the Word: | |
| Early 19th century from the Latin flammare, which is from flamma meaning a flame. | Early 17th century from the Old French enflammer or the Latin inflammare, which is from in- (into) + flamma (flame). |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Flammable versus Inflammable
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Apple Dictionary.com
Cambridge Dictionary: inflammable
Dictionary.com: inflammable
Pritchard, John. Night Sisters. HarperCollins, 1993. <https://amzn.to/3gi13MU>. Print.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Double-deck[er] Burning in 2011 England Riots by VOA Persian Interview (VOA TV) is in the public domain or under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 11 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie