decriminalise
"decriminalise" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“decriminalise” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | decriminalise |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “decriminalise” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
decriminalise is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for decriminalise, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + criminalise. The correct English form is decriminalise, spelled D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-S-E.
Definition
- 1Non-Oxford British English standard spelling of decriminalize.
Etymology
From de- + criminalise.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “decriminalise”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L-I-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.