debt

/dɛt/

//dɛt// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"debt" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“debt” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,069 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,069
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

debt vs DT
0% similar
debt vs del
50% similar
debt vs Dec
25% similar

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

Key facts for debt
PropertyValue
Headworddebt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɛt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,069
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “debt” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for debt is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,069 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for debt, with forms such as "dbet", "ddebt", and "debbt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "DT", "del", "Dec", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (“what is owed, a debt, a duty”), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (“to owe”), contraction of *dehibeō (“I ha… The correct English form is debt, spelled D-E-B-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.
  2. 2
    The state or condition of owing something to another.
  3. 3
    Money that one person or entity owes or is required to pay to another, generally as a result of a loan or other financial transaction.
  4. 4
    An action at law to recover a certain specified sum of money alleged to be due

Etymology

From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (“what is owed, a debt, a duty”), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (“to owe”), contraction of *dehibeō (“I have from”), from de (“from”) + habeō (“to have”). Doublet of debit. The unpronounced "b" in the modern English spelling is a Latinisation from the Latin etymon dēbitum.

This word in other languages

deuda(Español)dette(Français)Schuld(Deutsch)dívida(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dbet,ddebt,debbt,debtt,detb,edbt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of debt - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

dbet2ddebt1debbt1debtt1detb2edbt2
Edit distance from "debt"

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 "debt"?
"debt" is spelled D-E-B-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɛt/.
What does "debt" mean?
As a noun, "debt" means: An action, state of mind, or object one has an obligation to perform for another, adopt toward another, or give to another.
What words are commonly confused with "debt"?
"debt" is commonly confused with "DT", "del", "Dec". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "debt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "debt" is /dɛt/. 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 "debt"?
From Middle English dette, dett, borrowed from Old French dete (French dette), from Medieval Latin dēbita, from Latin dēbitum (“what is owed, a debt, a duty”), neuter of dēbitus, perfect passive participle of dēbeō (“to owe”), contraction of *dehi... 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.

Using “debt”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-B-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɛt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “DT” - see the side-by-side comparison. debt vs DT
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list