by degrees
"by-degrees" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“by degrees” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In gradual steps; bit by bit.
Corpus desk
Index EN-by-degrees · by degrees · English
by degrees · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | by degrees |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “by degrees” in English
Rare enough to double-check
by degrees is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In gradual steps; bit by bit.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for by degrees in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is by degrees, spelled B-Y- -D-E-G-R-E-E-S.
Definition
- 1In gradual steps; bit by bit.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how by degrees appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
She came to us snappish and suspicious, but when she found what sort of place ours was, it all went off by degrees; […]
By degrees the libraries which were unendowed fell behind the age, and were consequently neglected.
Synonyms
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.