debunk

/diːˈbʌŋk/

//diːˈbʌŋk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“debunk” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,594. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,594
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To discredit, or expose to ridicule the falsehood or the exaggerated claims of something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-debunk · debunk · English

debunk · rank #42,594 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,594
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dass

Nearest frequency peer: dass (-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 “debunk”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “debunk” 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).

debunk vs dunk
67% similar
debunk vs drunk
67% similar
debunk vs debut
67% similar

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

Key facts for debunk
PropertyValue
Headworddebunk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/diːˈbʌŋk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#42,594
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “debunk”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).debunklands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “dass” (#42,593), “decays” (#42,595), “darting” (#42,592). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “debunk” is #42,594. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around debunk (IPA /diːˈbʌŋk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,594 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To discredit, or expose to ridicule the falsehood or the exaggerated claims of something.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for debunk, with forms such as "dbeunk", "ddebunk", and "debbunk". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "dunk", "drunk", "debut", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From de- (“away”) + bunk (“nonsense”) (from bunkum, from Buncombe County) 1923. The correct English form is debunk, spelled D-E-B-U-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To discredit, or expose to ridicule the falsehood or the exaggerated claims of something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how debunk appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The explosion story was thoroughly debunked on National Public Radio in November 1999.
  2. debunk a theory

Etymology

From de- (“away”) + bunk (“nonsense”) (from bunkum, from Buncombe County) 1923.

This word in other languages

desbaratar(Español)dévoiler(Français)entlarven(Deutsch)desacreditar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dbeunk
  • ddebunk
  • debbunk
  • debnuk
  • debukn
  • debunkk
  • debunnk
  • deubnk
  • edbunk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of debunk - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

dbeunk2ddebunk1debbunk1debnuk2debukn2debunkk1debunnk1deubnk2
Edit distance from "debunk"

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 "debunk"?
"debunk" is spelled D-E-B-U-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /diːˈbʌŋk/.
What does "debunk" mean?
As a verb, "debunk" means: To discredit, or expose to ridicule the falsehood or the exaggerated claims of something.
What words are commonly confused with "debunk"?
"debunk" is commonly confused with "dunk", "drunk", "debut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "debunk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "debunk" is /diːˈbʌŋk/. 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 "debunk"?
From de- (“away”) + bunk (“nonsense”) (from bunkum, from Buncombe County) 1923. 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 "debunk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

decays#42,595dabble#42,590cupola#42,589despot#42,603

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

dogging9 variantscatnip9 variantsespouse9 variantsFarber9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list