diff --git a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
index 8ebb19de43..71c11b1ad4 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/_codespell.py
@@ -215,6 +215,17 @@ def __str__(self) -> str:
         )
 
 
+class IgnoreWordsUsage:
+    """Track which ignore words actually suppress a misspelling."""
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        # ignore words that match a dictionary entry, i.e. the only ones
+        # that can actually suppress a misspelling
+        self.candidates: set[str] = set()
+        # ignore words that suppressed a misspelling in the checked files
+        self.used: set[str] = set()
+
+
 class FileOpener:
     def __init__(
         self,
@@ -513,6 +524,15 @@ def convert_arg_line_to_args(self, arg_line: str) -> list[str]:
         "by codespell. Words are case sensitive based on "
         "how they are written in the dictionary file.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--report-unused-ignore-words",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=False,
+        help="report ignore words from --ignore-words and "
+        "--ignore-words-list that did not match anything in the "
+        "checked files, making it easier to remove stale entries. "
+        "The report is printed to stderr at the end of the run.",
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--uri-ignore-words-list",
         action="append",
@@ -968,6 +988,7 @@ def parse_lines(
     summary: Optional[Summary],
     misspellings: dict[str, Misspelling],
     ignore_words_cased: set[str],
+    ignore_words_usage: Optional[IgnoreWordsUsage],
     exclude_lines: set[str],
     word_regex: Pattern[str],
     ignore_word_regex: Optional[Pattern[str]],
@@ -1044,8 +1065,15 @@ def parse_lines(
         for match in check_matches:
             word = match.group()
             if word in ignore_words_cased:
+                if ignore_words_usage is not None and word.lower() in misspellings:
+                    ignore_words_usage.used.add(word)
                 continue
             lword = word.lower()
+            if (
+                ignore_words_usage is not None
+                and lword in ignore_words_usage.candidates
+            ):
+                ignore_words_usage.used.add(lword)
             if lword in misspellings and lword not in extra_words_to_ignore:
                 # Sometimes we find a 'misspelling' which is actually a valid word
                 # preceded by a string escape sequence.  Ignore such cases as
@@ -1146,6 +1174,7 @@ def parse_file(
     summary: Optional[Summary],
     misspellings: dict[str, Misspelling],
     ignore_words_cased: set[str],
+    ignore_words_usage: Optional[IgnoreWordsUsage],
     exclude_lines: set[str],
     file_opener: FileOpener,
     word_regex: Pattern[str],
@@ -1167,8 +1196,15 @@ def parse_file(
         if options.check_filenames:
             for word in extract_words(filename, word_regex, ignore_word_regex):
                 if word in ignore_words_cased:
+                    if ignore_words_usage is not None and word.lower() in misspellings:
+                        ignore_words_usage.used.add(word)
                     continue
                 lword = word.lower()
+                if (
+                    ignore_words_usage is not None
+                    and lword in ignore_words_usage.candidates
+                ):
+                    ignore_words_usage.used.add(lword)
                 if lword not in misspellings:
                     continue
                 fix = misspellings[lword].fix
@@ -1231,6 +1267,7 @@ def parse_file(
             summary,
             misspellings,
             ignore_words_cased,
+            ignore_words_usage,
             exclude_lines,
             word_regex,
             ignore_word_regex,
@@ -1431,8 +1468,16 @@ def main(*args: str) -> int:
                 )
             use_dictionaries.append(dictionary)
     misspellings: dict[str, Misspelling] = {}
+    ignore_words_usage: Optional[IgnoreWordsUsage] = (
+        IgnoreWordsUsage() if options.report_unused_ignore_words else None
+    )
     for dictionary in use_dictionaries:
-        build_dict(dictionary, misspellings, ignore_words)
+        build_dict(
+            dictionary,
+            misspellings,
+            ignore_words,
+            None if ignore_words_usage is None else ignore_words_usage.candidates,
+        )
     colors = TermColors()
     if not options.colors:
         colors.disable()
@@ -1510,6 +1555,7 @@ def main(*args: str) -> int:
                         summary,
                         misspellings,
                         ignore_words_cased,
+                        ignore_words_usage,
                         exclude_lines,
                         file_opener,
                         word_regex,
@@ -1535,6 +1581,7 @@ def main(*args: str) -> int:
                 summary,
                 misspellings,
                 ignore_words_cased,
+                ignore_words_usage,
                 exclude_lines,
                 file_opener,
                 word_regex,
@@ -1548,6 +1595,15 @@ def main(*args: str) -> int:
     if summary:
         print("\n-------8<-------\nSUMMARY:")
         print(summary)
+    if ignore_words_usage is not None:
+        unused_ignore_words = sorted(
+            (ignore_words | ignore_words_cased) - ignore_words_usage.used
+        )
+        if unused_ignore_words:
+            print(
+                "Unused ignore words: " + ", ".join(unused_ignore_words),
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
     if options.count:
         print(bad_count, file=sys.stderr)
     return EX_DATAERR if bad_count else EX_OK
diff --git a/codespell_lib/_spellchecker.py b/codespell_lib/_spellchecker.py
index 7b511e6d3e..b21f634da0 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/_spellchecker.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/_spellchecker.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 Copyright (C) 2011  ProFUSION embedded systems
 """
 
+from typing import Optional
+
 # Pass all misspellings through this translation table to generate
 # alternative misspellings and fixes.
 alt_chars = (("'", "’"),)  # noqa: RUF001
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@ def build_dict(
     filename: str,
     misspellings: dict[str, Misspelling],
     ignore_words: set[str],
+    skipped_ignore_words: Optional[set[str]] = None,
 ) -> None:
     with open(filename, encoding="utf-8") as f:
         translate_tables = [(x, str.maketrans(x, y)) for x, y in alt_chars]
@@ -61,6 +64,8 @@ def build_dict(
             data = data.lower()
             if key not in ignore_words:
                 add_misspelling(key, data, misspellings)
+            elif skipped_ignore_words is not None:
+                skipped_ignore_words.add(key)
             # generate alternative misspellings/fixes
             for x, table in translate_tables:
                 if x in key:
@@ -68,3 +73,5 @@ def build_dict(
                     alt_data = data.translate(table)
                     if alt_key not in ignore_words:
                         add_misspelling(alt_key, alt_data, misspellings)
+                    elif skipped_ignore_words is not None:
+                        skipped_ignore_words.add(alt_key)
diff --git a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
index d1c66a18a5..bddc46b268 100644
--- a/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
+++ b/codespell_lib/tests/test_basic.py
@@ -438,6 +438,69 @@ def test_ignore_word_list(
     assert cs.main("-Labandonned,someword", "-Labilty", tmp_path) == 1
 
 
+def test_report_unused_ignore_words(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str],
+) -> None:
+    """Test that --report-unused-ignore-words reports stale ignore words."""
+    bad_name = tmp_path / "bad.txt"
+    bad_name.write_text("abandonned abilty\n")
+    # every ignore word is used, nothing to report
+    result = cs.main("--report-unused-ignore-words", "-Labandonned", bad_name, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 1
+    assert "Unused ignore words" not in stderr
+    # entries that never suppressed anything are reported, sorted
+    result = cs.main(
+        "--report-unused-ignore-words", "-Lnwe,abandonned,fdindigd", bad_name, std=True
+    )
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 1
+    assert "Unused ignore words: fdindigd, nwe" in stderr
+    # a word in the checked files that cannot suppress a misspelling
+    # (not a dictionary entry) is still unused
+    bad_name.write_text("abandonned goodword\n")
+    result = cs.main("--report-unused-ignore-words", "-Lgoodword", bad_name, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 1
+    assert "Unused ignore words: goodword" in stderr
+    # case sensitive ignore words are tracked as well
+    bad_name.write_text("MIS mis\n")
+    result = cs.main("--report-unused-ignore-words", "-LMIS,Mis", bad_name, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 1
+    assert "Unused ignore words: Mis" in stderr
+    # ignore words files are supported like --ignore-words-list
+    bad_name.write_text("abandonned abilty\n")
+    fname = tmp_path / "ignore.txt"
+    fname.write_text("abandonned\nfdindigd\n")
+    result = cs.main("--report-unused-ignore-words", "-I", fname, bad_name, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 1
+    assert "Unused ignore words: fdindigd" in stderr
+    # no report without the option
+    result = cs.main("-Lfdindigd", bad_name, std=True)
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 2
+    assert "Unused ignore words" not in stderr
+    # --check-filenames marks ignore words as used, too
+    short_name = tmp_path / "abandonned.txt"
+    short_name.write_text("good contents\n")
+    result = cs.main(
+        "--report-unused-ignore-words", "-f", "-Labandonned", short_name, std=True
+    )
+    assert isinstance(result, tuple)
+    code, _, stderr = result
+    assert code == 0
+    assert "Unused ignore words" not in stderr
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("content", "expected_error_count"),
     [
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6c9f452aa4..3a34418230 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ max-complexity = 45
 
 [tool.ruff.lint.pylint]
 allow-magic-value-types = ["bytes", "int", "str",]
-max-args = 13
+max-args = 14
 max-branches = 48
 max-returns = 12
 max-statements = 120