debug
/diːˈbʌɡ/
"debug" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“debug” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,458 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #34,458
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 15
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To search for and eliminate malfunctioning elements or errors in something, especially a computer program or machinery.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | debug |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /diːˈbʌɡ/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #34,458 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 15 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “debug” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for debug is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /diːˈbʌɡ/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,458 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for debug, with forms such as "dbeug", "ddebug", and "debbug". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "dug", "drug", "Doug", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + bug. The correct English form is debug, spelled D-E-B-U-G.
Definition
- 1To search for and eliminate malfunctioning elements or errors in something, especially a computer program or machinery.
- 2To remove a hidden electronic surveillance device from (somewhere).
- 3To remove insects from (somewhere), especially lice.
Etymology
From de- + bug.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: dbeug,ddebug,debbug,debgu,debugg,deubg,edbug
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of debug - 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.
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
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Using “debug”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-B-U-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /diːˈbʌɡ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “dug” - see the side-by-side comparison. debug vs dug
- 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.