decathlon

/diːˈkæθlɒn/

//diːˈkæθlɒn// noun

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

"decathlon" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“decathlon” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,694. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,694
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An athletic contest consisting of ten events which includes sprinting, hurdling, jumping, and throwing over a span of two days.

Corpus desk

Index EN-decathlon · decathlon · English

decathlon · rank #48,694 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,694
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Debussy

Nearest frequency peer: Debussy (-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 “decathlon”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “decathlon” 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
Key facts for decathlon
PropertyValue
Headworddecathlon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/diːˈkæθlɒn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#48,694
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “decathlon”

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).decathlonlands 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 “Debussy” (#48,693), “DCC” (#48,692), “Daedalus” (#48,691). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “decathlon” is #48,694. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around decathlon (IPA /diːˈkæθlɒn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,694 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for decathlon, with forms such as "dceathlon", "ddecathlon", and "deacthlon". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dec- + -athlon, coined for the 1912 Summer Olympics in analogy to the word pentathlon. The correct English form is decathlon, spelled D-E-C-A-T-H-L-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An athletic contest consisting of ten events which includes sprinting, hurdling, jumping, and throwing over a span of two days.
  2. 2
    A contest in science and math proving skill.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He entered U.C.L.A. in 1954 and played for the renowned coach John Wooden’s basketball team there while training for decathlons.
  2. For now, Gray and her peers are able to compete for Olympic berths only in the seven-event heptathlon, while the decathlon is restricted to men.

Etymology

From dec- + -athlon, coined for the 1912 Summer Olympics in analogy to the word pentathlon.

This word in other languages

décathlon(Français)Zehnkampf(Deutsch)decatlo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dceathlon
  • ddecathlon
  • deacthlon
  • decahtlon
  • decathhlon
  • decathllon
  • decathlno
  • decathlonn
  • decatholn
  • decatlhon
  • decatthlon
  • deccathlon
  • dectahlon
  • edcathlon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dceathlon2ddecathlon1deacthlon2decahtlon2decathhlon1decathllon1decathlno2decathlonn1
Edit distance from "decathlon"

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 "decathlon"?
"decathlon" is spelled D-E-C-A-T-H-L-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /diːˈkæθlɒn/.
What does "decathlon" mean?
As a noun, "decathlon" means: An athletic contest consisting of ten events which includes sprinting, hurdling, jumping, and throwing over a span of two days.
What are common misspellings of "decathlon"?
Common misspellings include "dceathlon", "ddecathlon", "deacthlon", "decahtlon", "decathhlon". The correct spelling is "decathlon".
How do you pronounce "decathlon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decathlon" is /diːˈkæθlɒn/. 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 "decathlon"?
From dec- + -athlon, coined for the 1912 Summer Olympics in analogy to the word pentathlon. 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 "decathlon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cytotoxic#48,690disulfide#48,705congenial#48,672dysphoria#48,717

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

depressant14 variantschinchilla14 variantsextrovert14 variantsfirmament14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list