decrease

/dɪˈkɹiːs/

//dɪˈkɹiːs// verb

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

"decrease" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“decrease” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,411. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,411
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a quantity, to become smaller.

Corpus desk

Index EN-decrease · decrease · English

decrease · rank #5,411 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,411
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dam

Nearest frequency peer: dam (-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 “decrease”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “decrease” 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).

decrease vs decree
75% similar
decrease vs decrees
75% similar
decrease vs deceased
75% similar

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

Key facts for decrease
PropertyValue
Headworddecrease
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈkɹiːs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,411
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “decrease”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).decreaselands 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 “dam” (#5,410), “defeated” (#5,412), “crush” (#5,409). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “decrease” is #5,411. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around decrease (IPA /dɪˈkɹiːs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #5,411 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for decrease, with forms such as "dcerease", "ddecrease", and "deccrease". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "decree", "decrees", "deceased", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English decresen, alteration of discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere. The correct English form is decrease, spelled D-E-C-R-E-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a quantity, to become smaller.
  2. 2
    To make (a quantity) smaller.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The quality of our products has decreased since the main designer left.
  2. Let's decrease the volume a little so we can hear each other talking.

Etymology

From Middle English decresen, alteration of discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere.

Synonyms

dropfallgo downplummetplungereduceshrinksinkabatecutdecrementlowerdecreasediminishwanelessen

Antonyms

go upgrowincreaserisesoarshoot upincreaseincrementraiseup

This word in other languages

disminuir(Español)diminuer(Français)abnehmen(Deutsch)reduzir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dcerease
  • ddecrease
  • deccrease
  • decerase
  • decraese
  • decreaes
  • decreasse
  • decresae
  • decrrease
  • dercease
  • edcrease

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dcerease2ddecrease1deccrease1decerase2decraese2decreaes2decreasse1decresae2
Edit distance from "decrease"

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 "decrease"?
"decrease" is spelled D-E-C-R-E-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈkɹiːs/.
What does "decrease" mean?
As a verb, "decrease" means: Of a quantity, to become smaller.
What words are commonly confused with "decrease"?
"decrease" is commonly confused with "decree", "decrees", "deceased". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "decrease"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "decrease" is /dɪˈkɹiːs/. 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 "decrease"?
From Middle English decresen, alteration of discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere. 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 "decrease", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

defeated#5,412diabetes#5,413dressing#5,414contrary#5,404

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

colonial11 variantsaviation11 variantsloyalty11 variantsplacing11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list