deciduous

/dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs/

//dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“deciduous” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,508. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,508
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Describing a part that falls off, or is shed, at a particular time or stage of development.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deciduous · deciduous · English

deciduous · rank #28,508 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,508
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH decal

Nearest frequency peer: decal (-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 “deciduous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “deciduous” 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 deciduous
PropertyValue
Headworddeciduous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#28,508
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “deciduous”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “decal” (#28,507), “degenerative” (#28,509), “Dawes” (#28,506). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deciduous” is #28,508. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around deciduous (IPA /dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #28,508 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for deciduous, with forms such as "dceiduous", "ddeciduous", and "decciduous". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin dēciduus (“falling down or off”), from dēcidō (“to fall down”). The correct English form is deciduous, spelled D-E-C-I-D-U-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Describing a part that falls off, or is shed, at a particular time or stage of development.
  2. 2
    Of or pertaining to trees which lose their leaves in winter or the dry season.
  3. 3
    Transitory, ephemeral, not lasting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the Hippoidea there is generally the full series of 44 teeth, but the first premolar is often deciduous or wanting in the lower or in both jaws.
  2. . Compare caducous.

Etymology

From Latin dēciduus (“falling down or off”), from dēcidō (“to fall down”).

This word in other languages

caduco(Español)caduc(Français)Laub-(Deutsch)caduco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dceiduous
  • ddeciduous
  • decciduous
  • decdiuous
  • decidduous
  • decidouus
  • deciduosu
  • deciduouss
  • deciduuos
  • deciudous
  • deicduous
  • edciduous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dceiduous2ddeciduous1decciduous1decdiuous2decidduous1decidouus2deciduosu2deciduouss1
Edit distance from "deciduous"

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 "deciduous"?
"deciduous" is spelled D-E-C-I-D-U-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs/.
What does "deciduous" mean?
As an adjective, "deciduous" means: Describing a part that falls off, or is shed, at a particular time or stage of development.
What are common misspellings of "deciduous"?
Common misspellings include "dceiduous", "ddeciduous", "decciduous", "decdiuous", "decidduous". The correct spelling is "deciduous".
How do you pronounce "deciduous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deciduous" is /dɪˈsɪd͡ʒ.ʊ.əs/. 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 "deciduous"?
From Latin dēciduus (“falling down or off”), from dēcidō (“to fall down”). 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 "deciduous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ellington#28,528equipping#28,532evaporate#28,535Capricorn#28,479

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Chomsky12 variantsDumfries12 variantscatapult12 variantsfainting12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list