decant

Name: decant, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/dəˈkænt/

//dəˈkænt// verb

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“decant” is uncommon English (frequency #74,883 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,883
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pour off (a liquid) gently, so as not to disturb the sediment.

Key facts for decant
Property	Value
Headword	decant
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/dəˈkænt/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#74,883
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “decant” 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). decant lands here:

#74,883

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

decant is uncommon English at frequency #74,883 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dəˈkænt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for decant, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French décanter, from Medieval Latin dēcanthāre, from dē- + canthus (“beak of a cup or jug”). The correct English form is decant, spelled D-E-C-A-N-T.

Definition

1
To pour off (a liquid) gently, so as not to disturb the sediment.
2
To pour from one vessel into another.
3
To flow.
4
To remove (a clone or other artificially-gestated baby) from its chamber, vat, or artificial womb.
5
To rehouse people while their buildings are being refurbished or rebuilt.

Etymology

From French décanter, from Medieval Latin dēcanthāre, from dē- + canthus (“beak of a cup or jug”).

This word in other languages

decantar(Español)décanter(Français)dekantieren(Deutsch)

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 "decant"?

"decant" is spelled D-E-C-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dəˈkænt/.

What does "decant" mean?

As a verb, "decant" means: To pour off (a liquid) gently, so as not to disturb the sediment.

How do you pronounce "decant"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decant" is /dəˈkænt/. 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 "decant"?

From French décanter, from Medieval Latin dēcanthāre, from dē- + canthus (“beak of a cup or jug”). 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 “decant”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-E-C-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /dəˈkænt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.