deacon

/ˈdiːkən/

//ˈdiːkən// noun

"deacon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deacon” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,339. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,339
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).

Corpus desk

Index EN-deacon · deacon · English

deacon · rank #17,339 · 8 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,339
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH DEA

Nearest frequency peer: DEA (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “deacon”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “deacon” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

deacon vs dean
67% similar
deacon vs deco
67% similar
deacon vs demon
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for deacon
PropertyValue
Headworddeacon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdiːkən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,339
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “deacon”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).deaconlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “DEA” (#17,338), “debuts” (#17,340), “dazzling” (#17,337). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deacon” is #17,339. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around deacon (IPA /ˈdiːkən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,339 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for deacon, with forms such as "daecon", "ddeacon", and "deaccon". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "dean", "deco", "demon", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”). The correct English form is deacon, spelled D-E-A-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
  2. 2
    A modern-day member of a church who handles secular and/or administrative duties in a priest's stead, the specifics of which depends on denomination.
  3. 3
    A clergyman ranked directly below a priest, with duties of helping the priests and carrying out parish work.
  4. 4
    An ordained clergyperson usually serving a year prior to being ordained presbyter, though in some cases they remain a permanent deacon.
  5. 5
    A lay leader of a congregation who assists the pastor.
  6. 6
    A separate office from that of minister, neither leading to the other; instead there is a permanent deaconate.
  7. 7
    A junior lodge officer.
  8. 8
    The lowest office in the Aaronic priesthood, generally held by 12 or 13 year old boys or recent converts.
  9. 9
    A male calf of a dairy breed, so called because they are usually deaconed (see below).
  10. 10
    The chairman of an incorporated company.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • daecon
  • ddeacon
  • deaccon
  • deacno
  • deaconn
  • deaocn
  • decaon
  • edacon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deacon - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

daecon2ddeacon1deaccon1deacno2deaconn1deaocn2decaon2edacon2
Edit distance from "deacon"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "deacon"?
"deacon" is spelled D-E-A-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiːkən/.
What does "deacon" mean?
As a noun, "deacon" means: A designated minister of charity in the early Church (see Acts 6:1-6).
What words are commonly confused with "deacon"?
"deacon" is commonly confused with "dean", "deco", "demon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deacon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deacon" is /ˈdiːkən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "deacon"?
Inherited from Middle English deken, dekne, from Old English diacon, from Ecclesiastical Latin diāconus, from Ancient Greek διᾱ́κονος (diā́konos, “servant, minister”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "deacon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list